Mating Fever
by livvyham
Summary: Of course Scott forgets his textbook at Derek's, and of course Stiles, being the greatest friend on earth, goes to get it despite Derek telling them to stay away for a week. Stiles cannot be blamed at all. He was just being an awesome friend. So basically it's all Scott's fault.
1. Chapter 1

"Say that again?" Stiles stared at the poster on his wall, listening to the exasperated sigh on the other end. He had been surprised at the call from Derek, assuming that it had been an emergency and that they needed his help. Even if they hadn't needed his help he would be there; Stiles was really good at being at places he shouldn't.

"I told you already, this week you need to make sure that no one comes near my house. Scott, Jackson and you are included in this. One week, stay away." Not wanting to go into any more detail, Derek hung up the phone on a confused Stiles. What had that been all about? Curiosity rose up and Stiles called Scott to see if he couldn't get any more details.

"Sorry buddy, I've just been warned to stay away. He's alpha, I guess I really don't have a choice." Scott didn't seem the least bit interested in what was going on, which made Stiles less interested in finding out. Maybe it wasn't even wolf related; maybe it was a normal thing. A slow smile spread across his face as he realised that Derek must have gotten a girl over for the week. Laughing at the warning to stay away, Stiles didn't worry about what was going on and jumped in his car to drive to Scott's.

Scott and Stiles were sitting in Stile's car when Scott asked him a question. Instantly Stiles had said no but Scott kept asking. Scott was giving his best friend his best begging face, and Stiles felt his resolve slipping. This was a bad idea, and he knew it could possibly get him ripped to shreds by an angry Derek. But his best friend was desperate.

"Couldn't you just wait a few days? I'm pretty sure that Mr Harris won't really call your mom for not having the text book. Borrow mine!" Stiles was sure that Scott could last another few days without his text book for chemistry. Mr Harris was an ass that threatened to fail Scott for forgetting his textbook yet again, but that didn't mean Stiles should risk his life against Derek and his secret girlfriend.

"If I borrow yours, then you'll get in trouble and have to face your dad." Scott was right. His father had threatened to make him do summer school if he got in trouble again for chemistry. Summer school would be the worst; summer was a time for hanging out with friends, possibly finding out more about werewolves if it came right down to it. Sighing out in defeat, Stiles knew this was a terrible idea.

"I'll give you my text book in case I get murdered by Derek for disobeying his orders. You owe me big time for this." Stiles regretted agreeing to this plan instantly. Scott gave him a slap on the back with a huge smile on his face.

"He shouldn't be too hard on you. You aren't in his pack. If you were, then I would worry about you making it out alive." Scott joked around. "I would go get it myself, but the consequences would be a lot worse."

"Never, ever again leave your things at his house again. If I make it out alive, know that I will never do it again. Unlike you, I have no ability to escape the wrath of an angry werewolf. His teeth are a lot bigger than mine." Stiles shook his head and gave Scott his textbook from his bag. Scott was lucky he had such a good friend. Derek was a scary figure, there was no doubt he could easily kill Stiles.

"You're the best! I'll figure out a way to make it up to you!" Scott took the textbook and then jumped out of the car since they were in front of his house. Stiles rested his head against the wheel and silently berated himself for agreeing to this mad plan. He must either have a death wish or be crazy to agree to such a thing.

It was night by the time Stiles had garnered the courage to go to Derek's house. It probably wasn't the greatest idea, but he had wasted too much time and now it was night. He had to deal with it. It would be best to just quickly get in there and get out. Derek would no doubt know he was there, but maybe if he made an effort not to interrupt whatever he was doing, then the consequences would wait until after the week. He hoped that was the case.

Turning off his headlights as he got closer, he felt his palms sweat. He didn't know just how angry Derek would get about him invading now, but he hoped that Scott had been right that he would be able to leave there alive. His father was at a conference in the next town over and wouldn't be back until the end of the week. It meant that if Derek really did lose control, it would take a while before anyone realised he wasn't alright. That was a scary thought.

Cursing Scott and his cowardice, Stiles parked the car and then tried to be silent as he got out of the car. He could picture exactly where the textbook was, on the table in the entry way. At least he wouldn't have to travel far into the house. There was less of a chance of being caught and an easy escape route if he didn't quite make it. At the moment, he liked the idea of summer school.

The stairs creaked slightly on the porch as he tiptoed up, and he clenched his teeth, straining to hear any indication of Derek knowing he was there. Thinking the coast clear, he walked onto the old wooden porch and opened the door. It was silent, which Stiles thanked profusely, and he got inside and sighted the book. Walking as silently as he could, wishing that the light was better, he got close to the stupid chemistry book, a feeling of elation hitting him as he successfully grasped the thick book in his hands. Sighing out in relief, he started tiptoeing back, feeling freedom just at his fingertips.

"I told you not to come here, Stiles." The deep voice echoed loudly against the walls. Surprised by the voice, Stiles dropped the book with a loud band and swung around to try and find Derek. The silhouetted figure was on the top of the stars. Stiles bent down quickly to retrieve the textbook before making hasty steps backwards.

"I wouldn't have come if it wasn't absolutely necessary, but Scott left his textbook and so he sent me to go grab it. I've got it now so I can just run to my car and pretend that I was never here." The fear in his voice was easily heard, but Stiles attempted to keep it slightly light hearted, hoping so very hard that Derek wouldn't be cranky.

"I can't let you leave now."Derek's voice was strained as he started walking down the stairs. Walking wasn't the right words for it, it was more stalking. Feeling like a deer caught in headlights, Stiles ran for his jeep, desperate to get to the car and avoid Derek. But it was futile, an average human running from an alpha werewolf. Stiles never made it out the door.

Strong hands grabbed his arms, causing him to drop the textbook in an effort to escape Derek. Derek was too strong for him, and pulled him away from the door with inhuman speed. Heart racing at the possible consequences, Stiles struggled to get away from Derek's grip. He knew it was useless, but he just couldn't help it. Derek slammed him against the wall, back hitting the wood hard and causing a gush of air to leave his lungs.

Derek's hands were against the wall on either side of Stiles' head while his own head was bent down, breathing heavily. Derek's body was taught and stiff, and Stiles noticed that he was only wearing track pants. Lifting his hand slightly from the wall, Derek slammed it back down, causing Stiles to jump at the sudden movement and sound.

"Stiles, you are an idiot! I told you not to come down here! This was for your safety. Now you've gone and blown that."Derek was talking between clenched teeth, his head still down. Stiles didn't say anything for once, too scared to utter a sound. He could feel the tension in the air, and was just waiting for something more to happen. A moment went by but nothing happened, tho only sound being Derek's laboured breaths. He was unable to stay silent for too long.

"What's wrong with you Derek?" he whispered. Derek was silent and then gave a low chuckle. His head lifted up and with the small amount of light from the moon Stiles saw that his pupils were black. Stiles was unsure what that meant, but from the terrifying smile on Derek's face, he knew it wasn't good.

"It happens to all animals, but for werewolves it's different." He shuddered slightly, his eyes squeezing shut as if trying to control himself. When he seemed to have control, he reopened his eyes and continued. "Usually it's just the female that goes into heat, her hormones setting off the other animals, but because it's harder for werewolves to impregnate females, the males go into mating heat also. Once every three months, unless the female is pregnant and then they don't go back into mating heat until the child is a few years old." His voice became more gravely as he spoke. Realisation hit Stiles with dread. But of course he couldn't help but ask questions.

"How come Scott and Jackson aren't in heat? Also, wouldn't you only be interested in females?" He didn't want to insinuate that Derek was gay in case it was a touchy subject. It wouldn't do to irritate the horny werewolf.

"It only happens to the alpha unless there are plenty of females in the pack. If you haven't noticed, there are no females around, which means that I'll jump anyone, no matter what gender, and satisfy myself. It means I'll fuck until I calm down or impregnate. Since you're the only one who has stumbled across my turf in the last three days, you're it. Blame yourself for your stupidity." Before Stiles could ask another question, and he had a million circulating his head, Derek gave a small growl before closing the gap between their lips and kissing a rigid Stiles.

Surprised at the sudden attack, and still trying to figure out what was exactly going to happen, Stiles was motionless. Derek was in frenzy at this stage forcing his tongue into Stiles' mouth and roughly shoving his body against Stiles. He was warm against Stiles, his scent hitting him and causing his lower regions to react.

Stiles wasn't gay. That was an important fact to point out. But Derek had said himself that he was exerting a hormone that caused females to react to his heat. It seemed to also work on males. Even though Stiles knew it was a terrible idea to react to Derek, he couldn't help it. It was if someone had taken over his body. It started as warmth in his mouth and travelled down his body, making his skin sensitive. The hormone must have been fast acting; at least that was what Stiles was assuming. The other option was that this was turning him on, and that was not even an option to him. He couldn't help his reaction to Derek and his lethal hormones. Soon he was rubbing against Derek, battling tongues in an effort to gain dominance. Of course, Derek was the dominant one, and Stiles seemed to easily give his control to Derek. Hands trailed all over Stiles' body, making his skin seem on fire.

Pulling himself away for a moment, Derek gripped the bottom of Stiles' shirt and ripped it upwards, forcing Stiles' to help remove it. It was a scramble of removing clothing, but soon both males were naked, Derek pushing Stiles against the wall as he rubbed his naked self all over him. Stiles seemed to realise that Derek was rubbing his scent all over Stiles in an attempt to claim him, but he couldn't help it when he moaned at the sensations. His skin seemed extremely sensitive, and he knew that he was screwed, both figuratively and literally. Internally conflicted, Stiles was arguing with himself. Half of him was trying to figure out a way to get out of this really embarrassing situation, while the other half of him was enjoying it, even begging for more stimulation. It was a struggle, until he gave a whimper when Derek started nibbling on his neck.

Stiles jerked forward at the nip, realising how aroused he was, and struggling to gain control over him. He was taut in his effort to stop reacting to Derek. Sensing the change, Derek stopped his ministrations and lifted his head up. Pupils dilated, slightly gasping for air and struggling to stop himself for a moment, his body pressed up to Stiles, he turned his head slightly.

"What's wrong?" The strain was evident in his voice from the forced whisper, and the slight needy growl couldn't be hid from his throat. Stiles gave an involuntary shiver, desperately keeping him from rubbing himself against Derek, focusing on the cold wall behind him. It took him a few costly seconds to gather his words, something he had never needed to do before.

"What am I doing?" His voice was soft, but there was a slight whimper behind it. Closing his eyes, begging himself to restrain the need, he hoped that somehow he could get out of this mess. Derek gave a dark chuckle fitting for their situation.  
"You have no choice. You're body will win because of all the hormones I've put in you. Neither of us has enough control. If anything, it's Scott's fault. Be angry at him." It almost seemed that talking was too difficult, but Derek was holding back, which Stiles was grateful for. He couldn't help but shudder slightly.

"I'm not angry." Stiles managed to choke out, feeling his body tremble with the intense need. He felt like he was going to die. Any second he was going to lose all control. He was just a mess of sensitive nerve endings and desperately horny. It was extreme, more than he had ever felt before. "I need you." He managed to gasp out. Sweat started to form on his forehead, and he knew he couldn't deny it any longer.

Derek didn't waste any time, his lips instantly on Stiles, body trembling with the same need. Stiles was feeling like he was on fire, his body burning up with a crazy fever. This mating fever was scaring him, but he had used up all his control. Now he was at mercy to Derek. Derek's hands were rubbing against Stiles' arms and down to his hips. Hips thrusted roughly against each other, causing Stiles to gasp out. Derek gave a low growl deep from his chest that caused Stiles to shiver in anticipation.

Derek slid his hands down Stiles' hips to cup his ass, hands lifting him up slightly. The changed positions caused Stiles' erect cock to slide against Derek's hard abs. Stiles couldn't keep the whimper of need escaping from his throat, the friction causing him to claw at Derek's shoulders. The two bodies were soon covered in sweat as the need for each other got more intense. Derek started getting rougher with Stiles, the growls coming continuously. Unable to further avoid the inevitable, Derek's fingers started rubbing down Stiles' ass.

Stiles' breath hitched slightly as contact was made against his back entrance. His knuckles were going white from the grip that they had on Derek, trying to anchor himself. Derek rubbed his fingertip against the sensitive point, causing Stiles to jerk forward. Whimpering at the sensations, Stiles leant down onto the finger, desperate for more stimulation.

"Please," groaned Stiles, his head hitting the wall in frustration as Derek continued to go slow. "Just, please, more." Losing his ability to construct sentences that made sense, Stiles gasped and begged with whimpers. Derek gave a low, throaty growl in reply, his finger pushing further into Stiles. He was tight, and there was a slight burn, but it was mixed with relief and a new sensation of being penetrated. Stiles wanted more, he needed more.

"The couch," Derek gasped out, the obvious strain evident as he pulled away slightly. Stiles whimpered as Derek moved away. Suddenly free from Derek's body, Stiles stumbled slightly, his legs almost unable to hold himself upright. Derek had a hard grip on his arm and jerked him towards the couch in the living room. It was almost completely pitch black; causing Stiles to stumble on the carpet and having Derek keep him up.

As soon as they were at the couch, Derek forced Stiles to his knees, making him bend over the coach. Feeling exposed, but having a need that he couldn't deny, Stiles waited impatiently for something to happen. The cool air of the house hit his back and caused him to shiver. He was really hot, and he knew the heat would stay until Derek did something to calm it down. He didn't have to wait long. Soon Derek was right behind him, his pelvis at Stiles' ass and his stomach covering the smaller boy's back. The feel of Derek right behind him had him shivering in anticipation.

Derek shifted his hips, and Stiles' felt Derek's large erection nudge at his back entrance. He gripped the couch cushions with his hands, face turned to the side and gasping for air. Without another moment, Derek pushed forward, causing a groan of pain from Stiles. Derek paused, a curse slipping past his mouth.

"You're not ready. I can't just- can't just go for it. Need to prepare you more." The obvious turmoil was evident in his voice, the growl causing him to sound deeper than usual. Stiles cried out, pushing his ass against Derek's cock.  
"It doesn't hurt." He gasped out in desperation. He couldn't handle if Derek hesitated any more. He was burning up inside, ready to explode. He couldn't take it if Derek prolonged his torture. He was losing his mind. "The hormone- everything feels so good- more- do it. Just do it!" Stiles managed to mumble out, with great difficulty. His body was on edge, quivering in anguish from the extended discomfort.

Without further ado, using the sweat and pre-cum as lubrication, Derek pushed forward, ignoring the pained gasp from Stiles, letting himself be overtaken by his obvious need. Derek's hands held onto Stiles' hips, gripping so tight that Stiles' felt that he would break his pelvis. Stiles' was in a lot of pain, his no-longer virgin hole burning with a mixture of pain and pleasure from the sudden intrusion. He gasped heavily, eyes shut tight and hands turning white with his grip of the couch cushions.

Derek continued pushing forward until he was fully seated in Stiles. He loosened his hands up, panting in his need to pull out and slam back in. Letting Stiles adjust to him, he grappled with the little control he possessed. The mating heat was taking complete control over him, but he knew the discomfort that Stiles must have been feeling, and he clung to his hope that the young boy could handle him.

Stiles was on fire, and it took forever until he finally felt the pain start to leave, in its stead leaving a pleasure he had never experienced before. He accounted it to the hormone that made his whole body sensitive, the pleasure far outweighing any pain he would have felt. Desperate for more stimulation to bring him to completion, and knowing he wouldn't last long; he moved his hips and whimpered, unable to talk. Derek got the message, and with a growl more animalistic than human, he pulled out and slammed back in. Stiles arched his back and moaned with the sensations exploding throughout his body. Derek pulled out slowly before again slamming back in.

The rhythm was slow, but as the need became even greater, Derek started going faster. Stiles encouraged the faster pace, even moving his hips to slam harder into Derek. Derek was giving one long growl that got louder when hips collided. Derek moved his hands to encompass Stiles' stomach, pulling him closer to him. Stiles was unable to do anything but move his hips, his mind blank in his bodies' desperation for release.

Their bodies moved faster, their heart rates increased and the heat became almost unbearable. Stiles was groaning and gasping in need, thrusting faster against Derek. It started building at the base of Stiles' spine, and he knew he was close. Desperately thrusting harder against Derek, he was trembling from how close he was. He could hear the progressive quicker gasps, groans and growls from Derek indicating his own approaching release. Just as he was so close he could almost taste the sweet release, he felt Derek give an almost whimper like growl and then felt him bite down on Stiles' neck, his canines close to piercing his skin. The sudden pain mixed with pleasure caused him to hit his release hard.

It was like pure ecstasy, a swirling vortex of pure pleasure as he came on the couch, feeling Derek release deep inside him. His body shook with the strength of it combined with the feel of Derek's teeth in his neck. As he fell back to earth, he was barely aware of his surroundings, so swept up in his exhaustion. Derek slowly removed his teeth from Stiles' neck, licking at the wound. Stiles shivered at the contact, feeling over stimulated. His body trembled from the exertion and he was unable to move, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"I'm so sorry." The pain was evident in Derek's voice as he pulled out of Stiles. Stiles groaned at the loss of contact, unable to move from his position. He couldn't feel anything except a deep satisfaction that reverberated throughout his body. "I didn't- didn't pierce skin. Didn't turn you. Not- not a werewolf. " Derek mumbled out, moving to lie on the couch. When Stiles didn't move, he effortlessly moved the limp Stiles to lie in front of him, spooning on the couch. Unable to keep his eyes open and feeling safe with Derek protecting his back, Stiles fell into an exhausted sleep, reminding himself that this was all Scott's fault, and that Scott owed him big time.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! I had no idea that this was going to be so well liked! I've been blown away by all the notifications. I am still in shock! Because everyone has been so lovely and pumping my ego up by telling me how much they liked the story, I've managed to produce another chapter. This is the first time I've ever written a multi-chapter, so please be patient with me. I don't have a clue how long this will end up being nor how often I'll update. Reviews do help me update quicker, but I'll try and do it anyways. I am just so surprised how well people liked this story, I wrote it months ago and finally got round to putting it up! Thank you everyone who reads this whether you favourite, story alert, review or just read it, I am so glad to see people enjoying this! The plot is still a work in progress and please keep in mind I'm kind of winging everything! This has become a long note, but enjoy the story! Tell me what you think could happen next/ should happen! I'm open to ideas!**

Stiles woke up feeling extremely warm and safe. He snuggled closer to the bright heat behind him, the back of his mind associating it with Derek. Derek? His eyes snapped open, body rigid and stiff as he felt the naked man behind him. The events of last night poured into his brain and he felt a blush go over his cheeks. He had just been fucked by Derek. The big, bad alpha had infected him with some crazy mating hormone and had screwed him.

Stiles couldn't figure out what was worse, the fact that he had been fucked or the fact that he liked it. He blamed the whole liking thing on the hormone but a small part of him said he would have liked it even if there had been no hormone. Ignoring that part, he tried to think of how to get out of this situation without alerting Derek to his plan. It was bad enough that he was spooning the guy on the couch, but he wasn't going to risk anymore embarrassment.

"Don't even think about it." A sleepy voice said from behind him, arms curling around Stiles' stomach possessively. Stiles' eyes were wide as Derek snuggled in closer behind him. His breath was tickling the back of Stiles' neck and Stiles tried to ignore the flare of arousal from it. He probably still had mating hormone in him that was making him extremely sensitive.

"So the mating heat gives you the ability to read minds too?" He half joked, his voice a bit of a whimper. He heard Derek give a low growl behind him, leg intertwining with Stiles'. His body was still tense, but Derek started rubbing his thumb soothingly on his skin.

"You tensed up so I knew you had started thinking about what happened last night." Derek said, his voice getting a bit less sleepy, but still keeping that rough tone. Stiles desperately wanted him to stop with that tone so that ignoring the heat building inside of him would be easier. He was barely holding onto the little self-restraint he had that was preventing him from snuggling in closer to Derek.

"We should probably talk about tha-ah!" Stiles' jerked slightly as Derek's tongue swiped against the back of his neck, right where he had made the mark last night. The tingles shot down his body, making him hyperaware of the very naked, very aroused man behind him. Derek growled, a bit more approving of the reaction he had just gotten from Stiles.

"We don't need to talk anymore. You walked in the middle of my mating heat and I had no choice. My hormones are raging, and now that you're infected, you'll go through it with me." He licked the spot again and Stiles arched into the touch, unable to prevent the whimper from escaping his throat. "If you try to leave, you're going to be one aroused ball of mess and I'll go searching for you since I've claimed you for my heat. What else is there to talk about?"

Stiles had planned on saying more about the topic, but his mind completely went blank of all thoughts as Derek's teeth clamped gently at the mark. He was unable to stop the shiver that went through his body or the fire that burst into his veins. Feeling flushed, and definitely aroused, Stiles could only groan and whimper as Derek started trailing his fingers across his stomach, lighting a path from his touch.

The fingers trailed down his thigh, curving towards his ass before slipping between and running the dry pad across his hole. Despite being a little sore- which didn't go unnoticed since he had expected to be burning with pain from last night- Stiles jerked into the touch, a high pitched whimper escaping his throat. It was all the hormones still racing through his system, he kept repeating in his head. He was straight and so was Derek. It was the damn hormones.

He didn't have much time to think about anything else as Derek's fingers trailed back up to his chest, under his chin and then feeling the gentle pressure as they moved in between his lips. "Suck." Was the deep request and Stiles was pretty sure at this point he would do whatever he was asked, even if it was some weird kinky thing, as long as Derek didn't stop licking and biting the back of his neck.

The fingers slipped into his mouth, and Stiles sucked them in, tongue wrapping around them and coating them in saliva. He groaned and lathered the digits, whining when Derek removed them suddenly. He didn't have long to whine, though, when he felt the spit covered fingers rub against his sensitive hole. They moistened the outside before one finger plunged in and Stiles gasped at the intrusion. He was still loose from last night which meant that it didn't hurt as much as before. Gently, Derek started pulling it in and out, letting his spit lubricate him ever so slightly.

"More!" Stiles gasped as Derek went harder and faster, the sensations racing through his body. Another finger slipped in, and Stiles was thankful for Derek's come from last night helping the lubricating process. No doubt he would think it was disgusting later, but right now it meant that things could progress quicker.

Suddenly the fingers disappeared and so did the heat from behind Stiles. Before he could whine and whimper for contact, he was moved onto his stomach and the warm weight of Derek covered his back. Derek encouraged Stiles' hips up slightly, so Stiles moved his face to the side as it was pushed against the cushions. His hands gripped the couch, digging into the material as he tried to stop the moans escaping his throat.

A loud growl hit his ears as Derek lined his cock up with Stiles' ass, the blunt head teasing the clenching hole. "Stop fucking around and just do it!" Stiles demanded through clenched teeth, his body humming with a deep need and his skin flushed. Derek gave an even louder growl before he pushed through the tight ring of muscles. Stiles tried to relax, letting Derek shift another inch inside. They both gasped out at the feeling, Derek's hands once again holding tight to Stiles' hipbones. Stiles couldn't even find it in his mind to care about the bruises, his whole being focused on where they were connected.

Without further ado, Derek slammed his hips, fully seating himself and causing Stiles' to give a wanton groan. He would have been embarrassed about it but Derek decided not to wait and began thrusting hard and quickly into Stiles. Stiles jerked underneath him, his own cock heavy and dripping precome. He was holding too tight onto the cushions, otherwise he would have gripped himself, but if this was going to be like last night, he wasn't going to need his hand.

Growls were constantly rumbling through Derek's chest, vibrating right through Stiles and causing him to moan louder as each thrust slammed into him. His body was on fire, every thrust pushing him closer and closer to completion and making his skin hotter and hotter. His whole body was shaking with the intense need, and his whimpers became more high pitched and needy as they went faster. Derek was soon pistoling in and out, gasping in between growls and moaning at random intervals. The familiar feeling shot through Stiles' spine and he got louder as he got closer.

"Derek –I'm gunna… gunna…" Stiles couldn't even form a coherent sentence as he tipped closer to the edge. Derek's fingers held tighter to Stiles as his head bent down, hips still going hard.

"Come for me, Stiles." He growled low and deep into the boy's ear and Stiles gave a shout as long ropes of come shot out, painting his chest and the couch below him. His whole body felt like it was falling into ecstasy, pleasure bursting through his body and causing his muscles to spasm. As Stiles' ass clenched around Derek, it didn't take long before Derek was shooting into Stiles, filling him up with his seed and more hormone. His teeth latched onto Stiles' neck, a low rumble in his chest as his body stopped shaking from the intensity of his orgasm.

They both took a moment to collect their breath, Stiles feeling like jelly. As Derek loosened his fingers and pulled out of Stiles, Stiles had no strength to hold himself up and fell against the couch, feeling his own come on his stomach. He groaned loudly but didn't say more, his body still buzzing from the intensity of what had just happened. Derek climbed off of him, letting Stiles just relax against the couch.

There was a moment of silence as Derek leant against the couch, naked and sitting on the floor, his head right at Stiles' shoulder. They were still breathing heavily, but it wasn't panting like it had been before. It was a comfortable silence, which was a first for Stiles since his mouth could run a hundred miles per hour. But it was too soon shattered when a loud ringing went through the house. In his subconscious, Stiles recognised it as his phone.

"Go grab it, Derek. It's in my pants pocket." Stiles grumbled from the couch, his muscles refusing to listen to him. The alpha wolf stood up and Stiles admired the view. The tattoo on his back seemed to only improve the look of the muscles on his back, tan skin stretched across his body. Even his ass was firm and muscular, but Stiles tried not to think too hard about that.

By the time Derek had grabbed the phone, the ringing had stopped. He handed it to Stiles and instantly it was ringing again. It was Scott and Stiles realised that the boy was probably worried about what had happened to him.

"Hello?" Stiles mumbled into the phone, not bothering to put any more effort into it. He was bone tired, his body resting after the intense sex he had just had.

"Stiles? Where are you? What happened? Are you alright? Why aren't you here at school?" The worry was evident in Scott's voice, his questions shooting off and making Stiles stumble with collecting his thoughts. That damn mating hormone!

"I've got a fever, so I won't be at school for a while." He said to the phone, watching Derek's serious face take him in. His pupils were still dilated, but he could tell that for now he was satisfied. Which meant that Stiles had a chance to recover before round 3.

"What happened at Derek's?" Scott demanded but Stiles didn't really want to say anything more. It's not that he didn't trust Scott, it's just that things were kind of weird at the moment and he didn't want to have to deal with Scott being all weird about it too.

"I'm exhausted, Scott. Let me sleep. Once I'm better I promise to let you know." He gave up keeping his eyelids opened and he tried to stay focused on the conversation at hand.

"I'll come over after school!" Scott said but panic went into Stiles' eyes. Derek must have heard the comment, him with his super-wolf hearing, and he bared his teeth and gave a low growl.

"No! I mean, you don't know if it's catching or anything." His voice held a bit of a tremor but it was lost on Scott.

"I'm a werewolf, I don't get sick. It'll be fine." Scott reassured him, and by Derek's body language, he could tell that Derek didn't like the idea at all.

"But you might carry it and get Alison sick!" he managed to think of, internally hi-fiving himself. If there was anything to stop Scott, it would be the threat to Alison.

"Oh yeah. Well, I guess I'll see you when I see you. Feel better!" With that the line went dead and Stiles sighed out in relief. Derek came over to the lounge, pushing Stiles onto his side before he climbed on and snuggled close to the boy.

"You seemed awfully pissed at the thought of Scott coming over and checking on me." Stiles commented, a bit confused as to why it bothered Derek. Derek gave a low growl, and Stiles went silent. He didn't want to have to deal with a broody werewolf on top of horny.

"Mine." Was all Derek said and Stiles got it. Scott would be a threat to what was 'his' and that would make him attack Scott. So it was in his best friend's interest to stay far away from Stiles for a while. This might actually be worse. Now he had a broody, horny, _clingy_ werewolf to deal with. Just his luck.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N My smut is probably going downhill, so I apologise for that. I'm not used to writing actually plots, more one-shots so please be a little patient with me. Since this is my first time writing a multi-chapter story, I'm not sure how quality it's going to be, so I'm sorry if it just gets worse, I am trying! I can't promise how often I'll update, especially since life gets a bit hectic. But I've figured out kind of what's going to happen! I have a plan guys! **

**Thanks to everyone who favourite/alerted/reviewed! I am surprised that people are still loving this and I am extremely grateful, like you have no idea. I get a bit crazy excited for every review I get, so keep 'em coming! Enjoy!**

A rumbling noise awoke Stiles and he groaned from the hunger pains. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten and that was always a bad sign. His stomach was loud enough to wake up Derek, who groaned and pulled Stiles closer to him, rubbing his cheek against the smaller boy.

"Derek, get up. I'm hungry." Stiles whined from his spot, unable to move from the bulk of the werewolf. Derek growled again but Stiles felt him move away slightly to give Stiles a sleepy look.

"I'm surprised you're only complaining about it now." Derek yawned as he moved off the couch, almost falling off. Stiles supressed a snigger, knowing that Derek wouldn't appreciate the laugh. Free from the weight of Derek, Stiles slowly sat up, cringing slightly as a pain shot from his insides. He hurt, but the back of his mind questioned why it didn't hurt that bad. It was painful, definitely, but it was manageable. Either the internet had lied or Stiles was just amazing.

Of course Stiles had looked up things like this online. He had a curious mind and he revelled in information, no matter how inappropriate or weird it was. He liked to think he had a good knowledge of things, and sometimes that knowledge turned out handy. But this time his information was wrong.

"What's with the confused expression?" Derek asked, shoving pants on but leaving his shirt off. Stiles then noticed his own lack of clothing but figured that after everything that had happened, nakedness was nothing. Derek threw his pants over and Stiles gratefully put them on, going shirtless too.

"I just expected to be in a bit more pain." He stood up, feeling the twinge but it wasn't that bad. "I mean, I was a virgin, so pain was expected, but you are really rough so I was expecting more discomfort." Derek offered his hand to Stiles, who gingerly took it. Hand holding seemed a bit intimate, but Derek acted like it was nothing. Figuring it really wasn't a big deal, Stiles let Derek lead him to the kitchen.

"It's the hormone. It's given you quicker healing similar to a wolf's. It'll only last as long as my heat does, so don't expect super wolf healing in the future." He motioned for Stiles to sit at the table before disappearing into the kitchen. Again, Stiles' stomach growled and he grimaced.

"What day is it? I've lost track of time." Stiles yawned slightly as he asked Derek, just as a delicious smell hit the air. His mouth watered and his stomach became more persistent. He groaned quietly to himself, desperate for something to eat. He didn't think Derek could cook, but he was willing to try anything at this point.

"It's Thursday afternoon." Derek appeared, holding a bowl of something hot and steaming, smelling like heaven itself. He placed it in front of Stiles, who grabbed the spoon offered to him and dug in, barely registering that it was slightly too hot for consumption. He didn't really care, instead groaning in satisfaction as his mouth exploded with tastes and his stomach celebrated in getting filled.

"This is delicious! What is it and who made it?" He managed to get between mouthfuls, Derek bringing his own bowl in and sitting down, eating with as much gusto as Stiles.

"Potato and Ham soup. I made it a few days ago in preparation for this week." Stiles nodded while eating, each spoonful becoming a moan in pleasure. Derek looked over at him, pupils dilated slightly, and Stiles felt himself get a bit hotter.

"Why would you need to make food in preparation?" He slowed down his eating, trying to avoid making noises that seemed to bring the hormone back to the front. It was harder to ignore now that his stomach was content. Derek shook his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts, although his eyes stayed dark.

"Making this hormone requires a lot of energy from my body. I need lots of food just to keep me going, more than before now that you're here." Again, the dark and horny look. It sent shivers down Stiles' back but he refused to pay attention to it. Derek was talking, and no amount of arousal was going to get in the way of the information he wanted. He really did have a thing for learning, although nothing related to school. English was nothing compared to werewolf 101.

"How did you manage before?" Before Stiles came over, although he didn't really want to say anything about that. It was still a bit weird, knowing that he got tackled by a werewolf and lost his virginity because of a stupid text book.

"I don't think I would have managed. Before I was just struggling to keep myself contained in the house because I had misjudged the hormone. I was on my way to chaining myself down when you drove over."

In other words, if Stiles had waited even half an hour, he would be home free. There was that much of a gap. How unlucky did a guy get? Something niggled in his brain that he didn't want to be half an hour late. He pushed that away, blaming the hormone was giving him crazy thoughts. _Dangerous thoughts. _

"How long will this last?" Stiles moved away from the dangerous topic, trying to focus on finishing his food, but his stomach was full and the hormone was making him aroused. No doubt Derek could smell that, and a glance over at the wolf confirmed his thoughts. The wolf was breathing a bit heavier and his eyes were getting black again, his body tense. He was holding himself back from jumping Stiles, and Stiles couldn't help but feel grateful. Derek had been surprisingly good about the whole thing, which made it so much easier for Stiles to deal with. It was a lot to process and Derek being careful was helping.

"Probably until next week." His voice was more a growl and it made Stiles whimper ever so quietly. Was it even possible to be quiet with the werewolf's super hearing? Derek's eyes went impossibly darker from the noise and Stiles slowly stood up. It was inevitable, but no way was he doing it on the couch again. As Stiles made his way to the stairs, Derek seemed to get the hint and followed, a growl emitting from his chest.

Before Stiles knew it, he was being grabbed by the werewolf, picked up bridal style and Derek was swiftly walking to the bedroom. Stiles quirked an eyebrow at him, but the wolf merely growled in response. "You're too slow." Derek eventually said, kicking aside his bedroom door and practically throwing Stiles onto the bed, climbing right on top of him.

The heat was so strong now, Stiles wasn't sure who it was that initiated the kiss, all he knew was that he was desperate for it. His body hummed in delight as he explored Derek's mouth, enjoying the taste of soup but something purely Derek, dark and mysterious. Derek gave a deep noise from within his chest and took complete control of the kiss, Stiles only able to whimper in need as it happened. Derek's hands roamed over Stiles' chest and lightly scratched over the smooth skin. Jerking in response to him, Stiles let his fingers grip into Derek's hair, pulling at the dark strands with a deep need. His body was suddenly on fire, no doubt a product from the hormone, and he tugged hard at Derek's scalp.

The motion made Derek pull back from his mouth, eyeing Stiles with a dark look which made Stiles impossibly harder. Derek's fingers found their way to his pants, easily opening the buttons and pulling down the zipper. Shivering with anticipation at what was going to happen next, Stiles attacked Derek's neck, sucking and biting to make his own marks. There was some part of him that desperately just wanted to mark him and see his mark on him. It was an odd thought, but when the hormone was racing through his system, he didn't bother to question anything. He just wanted, no, _needed _more Derek.

Derek made quick work of Stiles' pants, throwing them away and doing the same with his own. Stiles stayed on his back, unsure if he was even capable of moving. A deep need was in his veins and he was powerless to do anything but what it wanted. And what it wanted was Derek, deep inside him right now. He pulled Derek into another sloppy kiss, ignoring the initial clash of teeth while their tongues pushed together, Derek more forceful than Stiles. Their chests rubbed against each other, erections at each-other's hips. When Stiles ground his pelvis into Derek's hip, the wolf gasped and groaned out.

"Derek." Stiles managed to get out, gasping as his body hummed. "More, Derek. I need more." His voice had resorted to a whimper, hands clawing at Derek's back to pull them closer together. Derek leant away for a moment, making Stiles whimper and whine out, the cold air of the house hitting his bare body. "Derek, no, come back. Derek." Stiles reached blindly for the man, getting more distressed when he couldn't find him. The back of his mind was telling him that Derek was close by, that he was overreacting, but he just couldn't help it.

"Shh." A gentle voice came over to him and he felt the familiar weight of Derek over him. Derek kissed him again, Stiles more forceful this time as he pulled himself as close to Derek as he could manage. "I'm right here." He pulled away and growled slightly, making Stiles stomach twist in desire. Derek's hands roamed over his body, barely brushing Stiles' erection as he pulled away only slightly and swiping across Stiles' sensitive hole.

"Please." Stiles said one last time, the word becoming a deep groan as Derek's finger pushed inside, the dry pad slightly painful. A pop sounded from his left and Derek pulled his finger out, returning it back to its former position. Only this time it was slicked up, and Stiles realised that Derek must have gotten lube when he had moved away. The finger pushed back in, much easier and less painful than before. Stiles groaned in appreciation, his body arching at the pleasure that exploded his senses.

It didn't take long before Derek had two fingers deep in him, stretching and scissoring him in preparation. Stiles was a mess of pleasure and need. The thrusting and stretching was exquisite, but it wasn't enough. As if sensing his thoughts, Derek pulled his fingers out, not giving Stiles a chance to whimper out at the loss before the blunt tip of his erection pushed at his stretched entrance. Lying on his back, Stiles urged Derek by wrapping his legs around him. Taking the hint, Derek pushed in gently, letting Stiles adjust. Impatient, Stiles tried to make him push in quicker but impaled himself, a high pitched whimper escaping his mouth.

Both boys panted at the sensations that blasted through their bodies, trying to contain themselves for a semblance of control. Stiles felt complete, Derek filling him up perfectly and making him feel safe in the intimate embrace. It was then he realised that they were facing each other. Before it had always felt impersonal, Derek behind him which left Stiles to grip the couch. Now he had Derek's strong shoulders to hold, feeling the warmth from his skin. It was perfect.

It didn't take long for Stiles to adjust, and Derek pulled out, pushing in gently but firmly. Stiles gasped and groaned in pleasure, back arching ever so slightly. Slowly Derek thrusted in harder and faster, getting a rhythm that caused both boys to be groaning loudly and harshly. Deep growls vibrated through Derek, making Stiles moan louder. Without a thought, he pulled Derek's head down, claiming his lips and forcing his tongue between his lips. His tongue imitated Derek's motions, which made Derek groan loudly into the kiss. His thrusts became more frantic and forceful, making Stiles grip onto him harder with his legs.

It was pure pleasure, his body on fire and in need. His erection throbbed, desperately sliding against Derek's abs as he thrusted in and out. His precum lubricated the path, but Stiles needed more if he was going to come. Derek went faster, even harder than before, making Stiles really feel every thrust. Stiles knew that Derek was close, his hands gripping Stile's waist in a grip so tight it was adding to his bruises.

Pulling back slightly, Derek removed one of his hands from Stiles' waist and slipped his hand between them, gripping Stiles' weeping cock. With a few quick, tight strokes, Stiles cried out, his body going tense and tight as he came hard between the sweaty bodies. His orgasm seemed to set Derek off, who seemed to ignore the sticky mess between them, crushing their bodies together as his mouth clamped on a new spot on Stiles' neck. Stiles felt the warmth spread through him as Derek came, the hormone instantly absorbed into his body and calming him down. There was probably something interesting about that, but Stiles was in his post-orgasmic bliss, regaining his breath.

Derek slowly pulled out when he finished, giving a loud moan when he slipped free from Stiles. He rolled to the side, laid out similar to Stiles, and tried to regain his own breath. They were both covered in sweat, come staining their chests. It was frankly gross, but getting clean required way too much effort from either of them. They could do it when they woke up, whenever that was. Stiles stilled suddenly, and Derek gave him a tired, confused look.

"Today is Thursday. As in tomorrow is Friday." Was all the boy said and Derek laughed breathily.

"Good observation. Is that a problem?" He turned to him, pulling Stiles to his chest and ignoring the mess. Stiles let him, feeling his body relax against his warm body. Derek gave a low growl of approval which made Stiles smile, before he remembered what had bothered him.

"My dad gets back from his convention tomorrow. If I'm not home, he's going to kill you, Derek." Stiles mumbled out, unable to keep himself awake. It was a pressing issue, but he was bone tired and the bed was just so comfy. It was so much better than the couch at least. Derek growled at the news but neither said anything as their breathing evened out. That was an issue that could be figured out whenever they woke up, when they both had a bit more energy. With that momentarily resolved, Stiles allowed himself to drift off.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry this took so long to get out! Real life and struggling to get what I wanted onto paper just pushed this back. Plus watching the new episodes of Teen Wolf have me thinking another angle for this fic, so there should be a couple more parts to this before I finish! **

**Thanks everyone who reviews/story alerts/ favourites this story, you really push me to continue writing this and I am so surprised that people like this! I still get alerts and it makes me smile! Reviews make me want to write, and I love everyone's feedback! **

**Feel free to message me about the latest episodes (because I am such a fan and love talking about anything) or about this fic! I love hearing from you guys! Hope you enjoy this part :)**

Stiles woke up slowly, feeling content and warm. He heard Derek's deep breathing behind him, arms wrapped securely around his waist, and he couldn't help but smile. It was odd, seeing Derek so protective and cuddly especially since he had always seemed to menacing and sullen. It was a nice change, and Stiles didn't want it to go. Would Derek even seem so dark and mysterious after everything that was happening? What was going to happen after Derek's heat? Deciding that he could worry about it later, Stiles slowly removed himself from Derek's embrace and went to the bathroom.

It was pitch black outside the window, probably really early in the morning. His dad was getting home sometime in the morning, and Stiles needed to be home. The school had probably called to let his dad know that Stiles wasn't there. At least his dad wouldn't be too mad since Scott had been going to school. It was less likely for Stiles to skip if Scott wasn't able to do it as well. But he needed to be at home faking this sickness in order to avoid someone getting hurt. Stiles' dad might try to shoot Derek and then who knows what the alpha would try to do back. It was a bad situation, so Stiles had to try and avoid that at all costs.

The best time to get home would probably be now. He wouldn't be cutting it close with his dad and it might allow him some extra time for a long shower. He was rather disgusting. Not thinking about all the different fluids currently in/on him, Stiles walked back to the bedroom, seeing Derek watch him with calm eyes. The mating hormone seemed to be settled for now, and Stiles was glad. Now would be an excellent time to get home. Hopefully it would hold off until after they got to Stiles' house. Sex on the side of the road was not one of Stiles' kinks.

"My dad gets home today and I need to be there." Stiles looked around for his pants, pulling them on and buttoning them up without glancing over at Derek.

"You don't need to be there. You need to be here, with me." Derek said with a yawn, as if not taking Stiles seriously. Frowning, Stiles threw Derek's pants at him, walking out of the room to collect the rest of his clothing. He heard Derek groan from the bedroom as he walked down the stairs. It didn't take long before the alpha was following him.

"I actually do need to get home. If I'm not home before my dad is, I'm going to be in serious shit. I don't want my dad going crazy and organising a search party, only to find out that I'm with you. He might try to shoot you or something else equally as stupid." Stiles threw on his shirt, collecting his shoes and socks and walking to the couch. He was never going to be able to look at that couch again without remembering what went on there.

"If he shoots me, I'll be fine." Derek said, standing at the doorway to the room and watching Stiles with a slight frown. Stiles was busy shoving his shoes on to worry about Derek's reaction, instead looking around in the dark for his phone. Hopefully Scott hadn't tried to call him again, or his dad. But he figured he could say something along the lines of being asleep because of the fever. Technically he had been asleep because of a fever, just not the usual kind.

"If he shoots you, yes you will be fine. But then you have to explain the whole werewolf thing to him, then the hunter thing, and pull my dad into a world he doesn't need to know about! I don't want him getting mixed up in all of this. Plus he might start getting crazy ideas and trying to prevent me from helping out." Stiles was still searching for the phone until Derek walked to some random spot on the floor and handed it. Stiles gave a grin, thankful for Derek's super abilities and checking his messages. There were just two calls from his dad and a text, letting him know he'd be home early in the morning.

"It's not crazy keeping you away from everything." Derek said and Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Let's face it. I'm helpful. Without me, you would have a stupid Scott, well more stupid Scott, and no comedic relief." He gave Derek a goofy grin and it was Derek's turn to roll his eyes. Patting his thigh, Stiles felt his keys and made his way to the door, seeing the stupid text book and picking it up. Walking out the front door, Stiles made his way to the car, Derek right behind him as they jumped inside. Stiles pulled away from the house, driving back home in relative silence.

At first the silence had allowed Stiles to think over the last few days and how things had completely changed. But then questions about the future started popping up and right now Stiles wanted to avoid thinking about that. The silence was wearing on him, and he decided to break it, looking over at Derek but completely changing his train of thought at the expression on the wolf's face.

"Are you alright?" Stiles questioned, not understanding why Derek's face was pulled in a dark frown and his body was tense. Had Stiles done something wrong? The mating hormone was still dormant, which meant that it wasn't just Derek being horny and holding back.

"Fine." Derek growled in a familiar way, but there was a dark edge to it that told Stiles he was really mad, like boiling under the skin mad. Stiles was usually the one who got that reaction out of Derek but it didn't make sense now. If he had done something, he generally was aware of doing it. Now just made no sense.

"No you're not. What's wrong?" He gave Derek what he hoped looked like he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Stiles was pretty good at pushing for information no matter how unwilling the informant, and Derek must have recognised that.

"It just… It smells like Scott in here." He finally said, turning his head towards the window but still acting all tense and broody. The answer just seemed to confuse Stiles even more and he struggled to understand why that would bother Derek.

"Of course it smells like Scott. That kid is a bludger and is always getting lifts from me so I would expect his scent to be in here." Stiles shrugged like it was no big deal but the low rumble from Derek told him he was way off point here.

"It's more than just that… Your scent is here too and it-it's just…" Derek seemed to be struggling to put it into words, glancing every so often at Stiles as if embarrassed to actually admit what was going on. Stiles waited, figuring that Derek was going to tell him and just pushing it might make Derek angrier and less understandable. Stiles sometimes knew where the boundaries were when it came to getting his information. "Your scent is… mixed with Scott's." There it was. The final piece of info that made everything click in his brain.

"Oh this is more to do with the mating heat, right? You can't stand my scent mixing with anyone else but you. I get it now." He nodded in understanding, Derek huffing out beside him. Butterflies seemed to erupt in his stomach at the idea that Derek didn't want Stiles to smell like anyone else but Derek, but Stiles ignored that. There it was, the mating heat, making him think things that were best left alone. "Well don't worry. We're almost at my house and then we can get out of the car. Scott hasn't been to my house in a long time so hopefully my room wont smell like him."

In a few minutes, they managed to pull up in front of the house, none of the lights on which made Stiles feel a bit better. It was still really dark outside, only 5.00am which meant that everyone was fast asleep. If he knew his dad, he would probably be home in an hour, bright and early from his convention and ready to go back to work. That was his dad, a morning person. Complete opposite to Stiles. It just meant that Derek was going to have to deal with the mating heat while at Stiles' house. There was no way that Stiles was getting grounded for leaving the house when this wasn't his fault.

They got out of the car, keeping quiet to not alert the neighbours. Thankfully no one was really nosey who lived around here so it was highly likely no one would have noticed Stiles' car wasn't there and his dad would never find out he hadn't been home. Derek seemed to relax once they got out of the car, but only a little bit. He sniffed around, probably to check no other wolves were nearby. Rolling his eyes at the protective display, Stiles unlocked the door to the house and waited until Derek walked in, locking it behind the wolf.

"I don't know about you, but I feel disgusting right now covered in dry sweat and –uh- other things, so I'm going to shower." Stiles dumped his keys on the kitchen table and went upstairs, hearing Derek follow silently behind him. They got into Stiles' room and Derek frowned, sniffing around the room like a dog. Stiles managed to keep the comment to himself, knowing that Derek wouldn't appreciate any canine jokes.

Stiles watched Derek circle the room twice before deciding that the hormones had messed with Derek's brain. He grabbed a towel and walked down the hall to the bathroom. His dad would be home soon and despite knowing it wouldn't take long before he was gross again, he would like to be a little bit clean for a while. It might give Derek the chance to stop sniffing around like a dog and just get it out of his system.

The hot water felt like heaven against Stiles' skin. He was a teenage boy and two days with no shower was disgusting, worse when you added all the other things that had happened. Stiles could feel a slow burn in his stomach, barely there but enough to remind him that he had a limited amount of time. He didn't even seem to mind it, which half surprised him. Shouldn't the thought of having sex with another guy be daunting? Again, bad thoughts that would only lead to trouble. Stiles quickly washed himself down, jumping out of the shower and walking back to the room with just a towel. Why bother with clothes?

Derek seemed to have lost his shirt and was lying down in the middle of a very messy bed. "I'm pretty sure that bed was made before you got into it." Stiles said closing his door behind him. Derek glanced over, having had his eyes closed as he waited for Stiles to return. His eyes roamed Stiles body, causing a slight flush to appear.

"It smelled like Scott." Derek shrugged as if it was obvious and Stiles rolled his eyes.

"So that gave you permission to roll around in my sheets?" Stiles shook his head at the images that flooded his brain at the thought. "That sounded a lot worse than what I meant." He had meant Derek had been putting his scent on the bed over Scott's supposed presence but it sounded more like a metaphor for sex. And thinking about sex was getting him a bit warm. Here comes the heat, Stiles thought to himself, seeing the slight darkening of Derek's pupils.

"That's the plan." Derek said quietly, his voice getting slightly gravely in a way that made Stiles shiver. Derek moved away from the bed, making his slow way to where Stiles was standing in the room. Stiles felt his body get warmer, the temperature in the room almost doubling. He couldn't move, stuck standing there, but neither did he want to move. Especially if Derek was looking at him like Stiles was the most attractive thing on earth. There were definitely perks to this whole mating thing.

Heart stuttering as Derek got right in his personal space, Stiles subconsciously moved forward, letting their bare chests touch each other. Derek's hands ran up his arms and to his neck, fingers gently swiping past the bite marks on his neck. The touch caused Stiles to whimper slightly. The heat was much slower building than before, but it threatened to be hotter this time. Somewhere in Stiles' brain- the part that managed to still be functioning despite the close proximity and smell of Derek that had begun taking over his mind- figured that there were longer gaps between the heat but that it became more intense when it hit. He should probably ask Derek about that, but Derek's face was so close to his and all thoughts seemed to disappear.

Before Derek could close the gap and add more hormones to Stiles' body, a car engine sounded and Stiles' mind jumped back to the forefront. His eyes went wide and he pushed Derek away slightly, ignoring the growl that came from the alpha. He hurried to the window, pulling back the curtain ever so slightly to see his father pulling into the driveway. Closing it, he turned to see Derek watching him with the dark eyes. It took all of Stiles' control to ignore it and think of a plan.

"Closet, now." Stiles demanded, rushing over to Derek and pushing him backwards. For a moment Derek seemed to listen to him, obviously too absorbed in the hormone for the moment, but he came to in a few seconds and held his ground, another growl escaping his throat.

"Stiles" His voice was rumbling and rough, a lethal combination and Stiles had to close his eyes to stop himself from ignoring his dad's presence and just jumping the wolf. But now was not the time. There was no way he was letting this get out of hand. He could get everything fine if Derek would stop acting all horny and alpha on him for two seconds.

"Derek, get in the closet. Once my dad checks on me, then you can come out and do whatever. But for right now, you need to get in there and hide. No growling, no moving around and nothing that would be suspicious, you understand?" Stiles somehow managed to get his voice to sound like there was no room for argument, getting a reluctant nod from Derek as he allowed himself to be pushed into the closet. Stiles closed the door, just as the front door opened.

Stiles ran for the bed, dropping the towel and keeping his feet as silent as he could before throwing the covers over himself, feigning sleep. His heart was racing at a million miles an hour and he willed it to calm down. His face was getting a bit warm, but that was just from the mating heat. It was easily manageable and would just add to the believability of Stiles having a fever. Footsteps sounded up the stairs and Stiles waited impatiently for his dad to check on him.

The door opened and a few moments later his bed dipped slightly, a hand being placed on his forehead. It felt cool, but painful and Stiles jerked away slightly, covering it up by pretending to wake up.

"Hey kiddo. You feel pretty warm." His dad said softly. Stiles hummed in agreement, still a bit confused as to the feeling of his dad's hand on him hurting. That didn't make sense, but the bewildered expression must have made him look actually sick. "When the school called and said you had been missing days, I thought you had been skipping school."

"I haven't been feeling the greatest." His voice was a bit gravelly, but that was more because of the slow burn of the hormone than anything else. His dad needed to hurry up because Stiles was slowly becoming uncomfortable.

"Yeah Scott told me. I called here but you didn't pick up so I checked up with Scott. He said you had a fever and even told him not to come over. There was no way you would ditch school without him so I knew that you had to be sick. Sorry I didn't get home earlier." His dad patted down Stiles' shoulder, and Stiles' stifled the whimper at the flare of pain that went through his shoulder. He moved away, acting like he was snuggling under the covers more.

"I must have been asleep when you called." Was all Stiles said and his dad nodded before standing up.

"Well I hope you feel better. I've got to duck out to work but I can come home early and check up on you if you want?" Stiles felt a flare of panic go through him at the thought of his dad coming home early and seeing him with Derek, but he stamped it down.

"Don't worry about it. I'm feeling better, but I'll still probably just be sleeping for the day. You don't need to worry too much about me." He gave a small smile and his dad thankfully nodded before going to the door.

"If you need me, just call. I'm planning on just sticking to the office today so you can reach me there." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. The footsteps got further away before he heard the keys and the front door. Seconds later a naked Derek practically sprung from the closest, jumping onto Stiles and holding him close, a growl vibrating from him.

"I was so close to jumping out when he was there." That stupid, deep tone was such a turn on. Flares of arousal went through Stiles and he couldn't help but whimper, Derek's touch feeling perfect against his heated skin.

"Why did my dad touching me hurt?" He managed to whimper as Derek rubbed his fingers against the marks on Stiles' neck. He bent low and licked one, causing Stiles to arch slightly off the bed. That only caused Derek to growl louder and soon the blankets were off of him and Derek was pushing their naked bodies together.

"It's the mating hormone. Your body only will allow my touch while the hormone is in you. Everyone else hurts." Derek whispered against his skin. Stiles whimpered, his body starting to sweat slightly. His hands slid into Derek's hair, tugging at the strands and pulling Derek's face upwards until Stiles was able to connect lips, not bothering with easy kissing, going straight for Derek's mouth. Derek didn't give Stiles a chance to explore before he was taking complete control of the kiss, his need for dominance even in the bedroom.

Stiles was on fire, every nerve in his body tingling with need and every contact with Derek making him want more. He was hot and hard against Derek's hip, his own pelvis thrusting up slightly and causing him to groan. Derek pulled away from the kiss, panting harshly against Stiles' mouth as he grounded down into Stiles' pelvis, his hard length pressing against Stiles' skin. Derek's hand went to the left, blindly finding the bedside table and digging through a drawer until he came out with lube. It wasn't really a surprise that Stiles had any and they didn't focus on it, instead Derek putting some on his fingers and trailing it down between Stiles' legs.

Stiles opened his legs up for Derek, allowing his fingers more room to move. Derek seemed to realise that now wasn't the time to tease, especially since Stiles was feeling like an inferno. Derek rubbed at Stiles' entrance, pushing in two fingers and thrusting them in hard and fast. Stiles gasped out, arching his body into Derek and feeling Derek rumble in approval at the movement, especially since it allowed their erections to rub against each other. Derek's mouth continued to lather the marks on Stiles' neck as his fingers loosened him up, preparing him for Derek.

Desperate for more, Stiles was pushing against the fingers, whimpering suddenly as a third finger was added to the mix. It was all too much and yet not enough. Derek seemed to be impatient, and suddenly the fingers moved. Stiles gripped Derek's hair and felt the wolf line himself up before suddenly thrusting in, fully seated. Stiles gasped and gave a broken moan, body on fire and unable to breathe for a moment. Derek was panting and making small noises at the back of his throat, his body shaking as he held himself back for a moment, allowing Stiles to adjust.

It didn't take long and then Derek was pulling out, slamming hard into Stiles. It was exactly what he needed, and Stiles couldn't help but whimper and groan at the feelings, pleasure shooting through his system at every thrust. His legs wrapped around Derek's back, urging him closer and changing the angle slightly until Derek was thrusting directly into Stiles' prostate. Stiles gave a wanton moan at the contact to the sensitive nerves, body shaking as he got closer and closer to the edge.

Derek was now slamming incredibly fast into Stiles, urged on by the moans and noises by Stiles. The slap of skin against skin was also pushing Stiles closer to the edge, and he knew he wasn't going to last very much longer. The familiar feeling pooled in his abdomen and a few more hard thrusts by Derek managed to tip him over the edge. He came with a loud yell, body shaking and hands clutched tight into Derek's hair. Derek was unable to last much longer, pushing himself as far as he could inside Stiles' fluttering muscles and coming into him hard. His mouth latched on Stiles' neck, making yet another mark and causing Stiles to jerk forward.

Derek was the first one to pull away, but only slightly, his face looking completely relaxed as he gave Stiles a breathy smile. Stiles pulled Derek's mouth to him, kissing him with none of the desperation before, but it was still nice. Derek let Stiles explore his mouth, allowing Stiles a chance before Derek took over. It was urgent, instead a lazy mashing of lips and tongues before they pulled away to catch their breath. Slowly Derek pulled out, groaning at the oversensitivity but still grinning. He leant over to the side of the bed where he had thrown the blankets and settled next to Stiles, pulling the boy to face his chest as the blankets covered them both.

Stiles felt boneless and content, his body exhausted and ready to sleep after that round. It had been urgent because of the hormones, but there was something else that was nagging in his head. They had kissed before, but just then had been completely different. There had been no hormonal need to share saliva and the hormone; instead it had been lazy and rather intimate. Not that Stiles was complaining, in fact he wholeheartedly approved, but that worried him. Why was he approving this unnecessary intimacy?

Derek seemed to know he was thinking too much and a rumble came from his chest, pulling Stiles closer to him. Deciding that these thoughts would be best thought about when he wasn't as tired as he was now, Stiles allowed himself to get comfortable against Derek's bare chest. Before they had always spooned, still intimate but not as much as this was. This was cuddling. Stiles opened his eyes as the thought hit him. They were becoming more intimate, and he just knew it had nothing to do with the hormone. Groaning internally at the thought, he decided that now was not the time to think about it. For now, he was just going to enjoy it while it lasted. Because the hormone had a dead line and then things would go back to normal. But did he really want normal?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey guys, sorry for the long gap between updates. I've got a really bad cold and am currently just finishing up my exams. But I really wanted to get something out for you guys. I am seriously amazed at your reaction. I'm one of those crazy people that have a hard time believing people actually **_**want **_**to read my story. It's incredible and I am extremely grateful for every single one of you who read this story! **

**I'm going to try and update my Tumblr so you guys can get an idea of when I plan on getting this story out. So go follow me! My username is livibur so have a look guys! If you also have a request for a one shot or another idea for a story, let me know by sending a pm or a message on tumblr! I am looking for some new material, so it would be extremely appreciated!**

**Anyways, thanks again for reading and I really hope you enjoy this next part of the story! Reviews are well loved!**

* * *

Stiles was warm and content, feeling the steady heartbeat of Derek as he slowly allowed his body to wake up. The heat wasn't buzzing at him, and he was just happy to enjoy lying on Derek's chest, allowing the morning sun to warm the back of his knees. This was perfect. This was something he wanted to always do, wake up to feeling on top of the world. Derek mumbled in his sleep, shifting slightly and Stiles opened his eyes slowly, seeing the relaxed look on Derek's face.

This whole heat period, he'd been incredibly calm and helpful, caring of what Stiles wanted and trying to make this as easy as could be for both of them. He'd never seen Derek so calm and happy, and he didn't want to give that up. He pushed the thought that soon they would pretend this had never happened. A sour feeling curled in his stomach, but he chose to focus on the warm body underneath him.

Derek must have woken up while Stiles had been deep in thought. There was a soft rumble coming from his chest, vibrating and resembling a purr. Stiles looked at him with raised eyebrows but Derek ignored him, keeping the relaxed smile on his face. This was definitely perfect.

Of course, when things are going good for Stiles, he should always expect something to come and ruin the mood. His phone started ringing along with the house phone. Groaning, he figured the house phone was more important since barely anyone ever called it. Scrambling out of bed, he ran into the hallway and barely managed to grab the phone before it stopped ringing.

"Hello?" At least he didn't sound completely out of breath. He sagged against the wall of the hallway, completely naked and flinching from a slight twinge in his muscles. He smirked to himself, reminded of exactly how he'd gotten those muscles sore.

"Stiles? It's dad. I was trying to get your mobile but it wouldn't go through." That was probably because someone else was calling at the same time. Which reminded him that he hadn't answered that phone.

"What's wrong dad? Is everything ok?" His dad obviously really wanted to get a hold of him, which meant that it was more than just checking up on him. Had he been found out? Did he know that Derek was with him? He started panicking, wondering why he was being called.

"We've found a body in the forest, and it doesn't look like an animal attack. I'm going to be stuck figuring this out, so don't expect me home until really late tonight." His dad already sounded exhausted and Stiles frowned.

"Dad, you need to sleep. You've been travelling and you won't be much help if you're tired." Stiles sometimes felt more like the parent, but he was fine with that. His dad was the only family he had left and no way was he going to lose him too.

"How about I crash on the couch in my office for a while? Will that satisfy your demands?" His dad sounded slightly amused, but Stiles detected the fond tone mixed in there. Smiling at his dad, Stiles rolled his eyes.

"I'm just looking out for you. Be careful out there dad. I don't want you getting hurt because you've been awake for too long." Stiles did worry about his dad, especially now that he knew of the existence of supernatural creatures that his dad had no chance against. It wasn't very comforting.

"I know you are son. You just go back to bed and don't worry about me. You worry about getting better. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully when things have calmed down a bit." They said a quick bye and then hung up, Stiles making his way back to the bedroom. He walked in and saw Derek frowning, shoving his clothing back on. Confused at the sight of Derek with his walls back up, Stiles watched him until Derek decided to turn around.

"That was Scott calling. The Argents discovered rogue hunters in the area. They're the ones who killed the man in the woods. We're teaming up to go find them and get rid of them." Derek's voice was dark and full of venom, causing Stiles to shudder slightly. No way did he ever want to get on the really bad side of Derek. He admitted that he had been on the side of Derek where he was almost sure Derek would kill him, but this was worse. No one threatened the pack and got away with it. Derek was crazy protective of the ragtag group.

"Are you sure you're alright to be going?" Stiles crawled onto the bed, watching Derek throw his shoes on and tie them up with barely contained anger. The hunters were never going to know what hit them if Derek managed to find them.

"This shouldn't take too long. They're obviously very sloppy if they've killed someone and made it obvious enough to be hunters. Plus the other hunters are here to help since these people broke the code. Don't worry about Scott either. I just told him I was here to check up on you." Derek got to the window, climbing onto it before looking back at Stiles. "I should be back soon." With that he was gone.

Stiles was still processing everything that Derek had said. He hadn't even thought about Scott wondering why Derek was with Stiles. Some part of him felt a little hurt, as if Derek was ashamed to have Stiles as his heat mate, but he shook it away, knowing that this wasn't a situation either of them had chosen. Of course Derek wouldn't be thrilled. Plus Scott would make everything awkward and Stiles was going to have plenty of time to feel awkward after the heat.

Stiles shoved some pants on and went downstairs, his stomach growling. He was starving, not even sure of how long ago he had eaten. It had been with Derek, sometime yesterday, but that was way too long ago. He rummaged through his fridge, grabbing some ingredients and making himself something to eat. He sat alone at the table, feeling like it was too quiet. He had been practically stuck to Derek's hip for the past few days, this was just odd and too silent. Finished eating, he collapsed onto the couch, shoving in a random movie and trying to pay attention to it, trying to avoid glancing at his phone every five seconds to see if someone had news for him. It didn't take long until he fell asleep, the movie still going on in the background.

* * *

Stiles spluttered, falling off the couch with alarm bells ringing in his head. Fire! There had to be a fire in his house! It was stifling in the house, an inferno was ready to kill him. Eyes glancing around crazy, Stiles somehow realised that there wasn't a fire. He was on fire.

Not literally, although he did try to roll around on the floor. It did nothing to soothe his burning skin, and he cried out at the feeling. This was the mating heat gone wrong. He was in so much pain, desperate for Derek. Derek! Where was he? He said he'd be back before it became a problem! A glance at the clock showed that it was 4pm, almost 6 hours after Derek had left. Maybe he was upstairs and waiting for him.

Stiles somehow managed to crawl to the stairs, tears starting to slip down his face. The water was as scalding as his skin, and he felt himself going crazy from the intense need to just cool down. He needed Derek, and that asshole wasn't here.

"Derek!" Stiles called out, hoping that Derek might be close by and could hear him. His voice was wrecked, broken and half a sob. He hurt so bad, worse than he had ever felt before. Where the fuck was that alpha? Whimpering and moving with jerky movements, Stiles started pulling himself up to the second story. It was a slow and painful journey, tears blurring Stiles' vision as he tried to feel his way up. It just hurt so bad, and he knew somewhere that if he didn't find Derek soon, he was going to die.

The burning inferno continued until he managed to get up to the landing and crawl to the bedroom. Pushing the door open, he gave a sound of pure defeat, seeing no Derek waiting for him. He was going to die. He literally was going to die from not having sex. It was a terrible way to die, especially since it was more painful than he had ever imagined. He couldn't die! He couldn't leave his dad. If he died, then he knew his dad would die too. His dad held on after his wife's death for Stiles. He couldn't do that to him.

A sudden thought hit Stiles. When you got burned, you shoved it under water. Hoping that it would work for some internal fire, Stiles made his desperate way to the bathroom, mind focused on getting into that shower and letting that cool water help him. With shaky hands he barely managed to get the water going, hissing as the freezing water hit his skin. He fumbled with the shorts, eventually managing to get rid of the material and let his naked body feel the effect of the water.

It was working, if only marginally. His skin cooled down and he was able to breathe properly, if just for a moment. Derek better have a really good reason for leaving Stiles in this condition. It was lucky that his dad was working late tonight, otherwise Stiles would have been in a very awkward and embarrassing situation. How would he have even explained this to his father? Sorry dad, I'm stuck with Derek in his mating heat and if I don't fuck him, I'm going to die. That just sounded like a train wreck.

The cooling effect was slowly disappearing, the heat coming back with a vengeance. Stiles cried out in distress, knowing that he needed to cool down. How was he supposed to be ok without Derek? He seemed to give up then, as his skin started boiling. He was going to die, desperate for sex with Derek and completely naked in his shower. His poor dad was going to find him in the worst position ever. His life was just the worst.

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind and the heat stopped being painful. It was still there, a warm reminder of what it needed, but it no longer hurt so bad. He gasped as he was held against a body, fingers gripped tight around his waist. He relaxed, feeling his body encourage the touching.

"Stiles." A tortured voice said behind him and Stiles turned his head to see the bright red of Derek's eyes. Stiles whimpered, unable to get his mouth moving as Derek turned him around until their chests were flush against each other, a low rumble vibrating from Derek. It was that noise that had Stiles breaking down, Derek pulling them out of the shower and turning the water off.

"You asshole! Y-you left m-me all alone a-and it hurt. I-it hurt so bad!" Stiles buried his face into Derek's shoulder, sobbing into the skin and feeling Derek walk them out of the bathroom. "I n-needed you and you-you left me! I was going t-to die and-and leave d-dad and S-Scott and-and y-you weren't here!" His fists hit the muscled chest with no venom, relief pouring through his system. Derek was finally here, and he was going to make everything so much better. His mind was a jumble, unable to really concentrate on anything except their bodies together.

"Shh" Derek soothed the sobbing Stiles and climbed onto the bed, ignoring that they were both dripping wet, his body covering Stiles'. "I'm here now." And he was, his hands pulled Stiles' face away from his shoulder and instantly his lips captured Stiles, absorbing the sound of relief that escaped Stiles' throat. Their mouths worked together, fierce and intense, the need for respite overpowering everything else.

Derek had complete control over the kiss, tongue thrusting into Stiles' mouth as his fingers roamed, lighting a path of controlled heat over every inch of skin he touched. Stiles thrusted up against Derek, feeling the quick slide of their cocks and pulling away from the kiss to give a broken sob. It felt so good, exactly what he needed.

There was no time for anything else, they had waited far too long for this. This needed to be fast because they were no longer in control. Derek thrusted hard against Stiles, his fangs appearing as his body shuddered at the friction. Stiles was gripping Derek's biceps hard, his fingers digging into the skin as he whined and whimpered for more.

"Derek, I can't wait any more!" He practically yelled out, eyes tightly closed as he thrusted in time with Derek. Derek gave a low growl, his eyes flashing red as he lined himself up at Stiles' entrance. It was going to be painful, but there was nothing they could do. The wolf inside Derek wouldn't allow him to extend any kindness. It was sort of a payback for ignoring the heat for so long. With a swift thrust he was buried deep in Stiles.

For a moment Stiles forgot how to breathe, eyes wide and staring at the ceiling as he let out a soundless scream. Hands clawed at Derek's back, his fingernails digging through the skin and drawing blood. That sensation was enough to have Derek pulling back and thrusting in harder and quicker, not allowing Stiles that chance to adjust. Not that Stiles wanted it, his body was desperate for this to be finished, to let his body calm down. Right now he felt like he was in the fiery depths of hell, and he was ready for it to end.

It was raw and primal, Derek's wolf barely kept beneath the surface. By some small miracle, Stiles still had lubrication in him from their activities earlier that morning which made it that less painful. But nothing was as painful as the need from before, so Stiles sucked it up, only allowing the moans and groans to escape his throat. He was so close to the edge, desperate to hit his peak. Derek was making wolf noises above him, hips like lightning as he thrusted in and out of Stiles. It was painful, but it was a good painful that Stiles loved.

The bed was creaking, the sound of skin slapping on skin loud in the room. The growls from Derek were getting louder just as the gasps and whines from Stiles became more wanton and desperate. Without warning, Stiles clenched up, his body shaking as he spurted hot cum between them. Eyes squeezed tight, fingers holding Derek's neck tight enough to bruise, his body gave a few more jerks before he completely collapsed, boneless underneath Derek's unforgiving thrusts.

It didn't take much longer for Derek to start coming inside Stiles, hips stuttering and a loud howl escaping his throat before he bent down and bit into Stiles' neck, gripping the skin tight as he slowly came down from his peak. They were both gasping for air, bodies exhausted. Derek gently pulled out, finally having better control over himself. He collapsed next to Stiles, pulling the boy until he was on top of him, throwing the blanket onto both of them.

There was a moment of silence between them, just a peaceful time as they both felt the reprieve from the unforgiving hormone. That had been the most intense between them, and the closest Derek had come to wolfing out. His back had healed from Stiles' fingers, although Stiles wished that they would stay so he had some claim over Derek, been able to give him some reminder of what happened between them.

"I'm so sorry Stiles. I didn't want to be gone for so long." Derek's voice sounded completely repentant, his arms pulling Stiles closer in an attempt for comfort. Stiles snuggled in closer to the werewolf, thankful for his presence.

"You cut it way too close. I was sure I was going to die." Stiles said quietly, eyes squeezed shut. He felt safer in the dark of his eyelids, happy to just lie on top of the werewolf before he drifted off to sleep. At least he didn't have to worry about his dad walking in. That would be possibly impossible to explain. It was better than being found dead in the shower, though. "What happened?"

"We followed the scent of the hunters for a while and we found their old base, but they were long gone but then I found a new trail and I got so caught up in it, I forgot the heat momentarily. By the time it started getting difficult, I had to shift and run back. I was running back to you, and I was so scared I wasn't going to get back in time. I was scared you'd die." His voice sounded broken, arms tightening as if the thought of losing Stiles was the worst. Stiles desperately wanted it to be more, wanted Derek to want him alive, but he tried to push that thought away from him. Now wasn't the time.

"You made it. You came back and we're both fine." Stiles felt better, calmer as he said those words, his whole body relaxing even more. Derek grunted at that, but his body showed just how grateful he was. It was so confusing for Stiles. When Derek said things like that, he was sure that this was more than just mating heat. He wanted it to be more than mating heat.

He had been avoiding thinking about it for so long, but he couldn't push it further anymore. He wasn't sure if this was still mating heat, but he wanted it to be more than that. He was sure it was more than that. Stiles was sure that he had feelings completely separate from the mating heat. Feelings for Derek. Had they always been there? The alpha had always been attractive, but Stiles had just passed that as he having an appreciation for attractive things. He had always been drawn to Derek, but he had assumed it was because Derek was a werewolf, a supernatural being that shouldn't be real, but was. Had he been mistaking them? Had he been confusing his feelings?

The situation he was in was surreal. He had been having sex with Derek, hot, mind blowing sex. Now he had discovered he had feelings for Derek, more than the 'you're my alpha' feelings. And somehow Derek was his alpha, despite Stiles being human. How was Stiles supposed to give this intimacy they were sharing up? Could he even give it up? He was resigned to the fact that he wanted Derek, moody and sour wolf. He wanted Derek, but did Derek want him? When he said things like not wanting Stiles to be dead, he blurred the line. Stiles desperately wanted Derek to want him, but why would he? Derek was an amazingly attractive alpha, strong and always looking out for his newbie pack. Stiles was just some awkward human who had a knack of being places he shouldn't be. He wasn't anything special. Right now he was just a fuck toy for Derek so Derek didn't go crazy with the hormone. And that had been Stiles' fault again for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Derek must have realised Stiles' drop in mood, rumbling deep in his chest and rubbing the back of Stiles' back.  
"We're both fine. Everything is going to be fine." Derek said softly, hands carding gently through Stiles' hair. The movement was gentle and had a calming effect on Stiles. Stiles hummed lightly, feeling his body getting sleepy. It had been a long day, full of unwanted revelations. Now Stiles had to learn to live with the fact that he liked Derek. No, scrap that. It was more than that. He snuggled into Derek, breathing his scent deep before letting his mind drift towards sleep. Somehow he had fallen in love with this asshole.


	6. Chapter 6

The dislodgment of Stiles' pillow, which he was sure wasn't the soft cuddly type but the hard muscular chest of a certain alpha, caused him to jump awake, blearily looking around the room as his heart started hammering. Struggling to get rid of the fog in his mind, Stiles spotted Derek's naked body slipping into his closet before the door clicked shut.

"Wha-?" He barely managed to mumble tiredly as confusion settled in his head. A glance at his alarm clock had him sitting up, the red numbers showing 12pm. They really had slept in, but it was a nice break from the heat. That seemed to be all he did these days, sleep and have sex. Not that he minded in the slightest. A noise in the hallway had him averting his attention, his father's head poking in the open doorway.

"Sorry buddy, I thought I was being stealthy." Exhaustion was clearly heard in his voice, even in Stiles' sleepy state. His father looked tired, his uniform wrinkled and his eyes with bags underneath them.

"You're only just getting in? It's the afternoon." Again, Stiles felt like the parent, but he was awake enough to understand Derek's sudden movements into the closet. His eyes got wider and he struggled not to glance over at the closet, indicating Derek's hiding spot. He didn't want to make it obvious he was hiding anyone especially since his dad wasn't stupid.

"Yeah it's been pretty hectic at the station. We're coming up short with any leads on this case so it's taking more time than we would like. Hopefully something will turn up soon."

"How long until you have to go back in?" Stiles didn't bother asking if he went back in, because he knew his dad. His dad would be going crazy trying to figure out what was going on and trying to ensure the town was safe. His dad was good like that, even when it wasn't necessary. The hunters were still at large, if Derek was anything to go off. Which he was, but Stiles barely remembered much from that conversation. It was slowly coming back to him, but his father interrupted his memories.

"I'm heading back in tonight unless they have a break through. But hopefully I can manage to get a few hours of rest before I go back." The sheriff rubbed his eyes, leaning against the doorway for support. His dad really needed to get some rest, he wasn't young enough to be pulling all-nighters and being at top form. If hunters were involved, then he needed to be the top of his game at all times.

"Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard, dad. I know you're the sheriff and you have a job to do, but there are plenty of guys who can do the work until you're better rested. Go get some sleep." Stiles gave his dad a sleepy smile just as the older man gave him a fond look. Stiles may act like the parent sometimes, but who else was going to look out for his dad?

"You going to be ok? I know we were going to hang out today since I've been gone a while but I just can't get away for now." His father gave him a concerned look but Stiles waved his arm like it was no big deal.

"I've got other plans. You know…uh homework plans since I've been MIA for school the past few days. Don't worry about me, I'll keep myself out of trouble." His smile at his father was less than what he wanted, especially with the blush hitting his cheeks. Homework was definitely not on the agenda, despite knowing he needed to get onto that. But his dad didn't need to know any of that. Actually no one really needed to know any of that.

"Alright. We'll have to post pone it until we get this guy. Just be careful, Stiles. You always seem to end up where the trouble is and this is pretty serious stuff. I don't want you to get hurt." Stiles did seem to be a magnet for trouble, but that was hardly his own fault. Actually some of it was, but that wasn't the point.

"Right back at you." With a nod, the sheriff closed the door and Stiles listened for the Sheriff's bedroom door to close and for the sound of the squeaky springs in the bed to sound. He managed to let out the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding onto as he was sure his dad wasn't going to come back in with something he had forgotten to mention earlier.

Derek moved from the closet and Stiles really got a chance to look at the man. He was tall, not too much taller than Stiles but enough that Stiles had to look up at his face when they were next to each other. Tanned skin, prominent abs and muscular arms, Derek Hale in all his naked glory. And there was definitely glory there. Stiles knew he should probably be feeling a little jealous of Derek having a kick-ass body while he had something a bit leaner and less muscly, but he could barely get a coherent thought in his brain; something that hadn't happened in a really long time.

"How's the heat?" Derek said softly, his quiet tone reminding Stiles that his dad wasn't too far away. Derek crawled into bed, slipping underneath the covers and essential hiding his body from Stiles' eager gaze. Who knew how long he was going to have to stare at him without clothes in the way? The revelation from last night was right at the forefront of his brain, and he couldn't help but just want Derek.

"Uh it's alright at the moment. I never really know when it's going to sneak up on me, though." Stiles said absently, still absorbed in his thoughts. He should probably pull himself out of that, especially since he had a naked Derek in his bed. _Not for long, _the evil part of his brain whispered and Stiles blatantly ignored that part. Of course not for long, Stiles wasn't naïve enough to believe that if Derek had a choice he would want to be here. But here they were. Stiles' feelings in the matter were unimportant.

"Today's the last day of heat. It should be completely gone by tomorrow, if not tonight." Derek said from his spot on the bed. Stiles' heart dropped at the words. He had so little time, and already he was wishing for it to go on longer. The heat had been a hardship, what with being in the middle of school and whatnot, but he had Derek. Right when he had figured out that he actually _did _want Derek, the universe had to laugh in his face. Screw the universe, flaunting what he couldn't have in front of him.

"Oh that's fine." _No it's not, _he thought, but that wasn't important. The heat was just something that was biological, and he needed to not look into more. Derek didn't think of him that way and Stiles couldn't force that on him. If he could force feelings he would have been in Lydia's pants a long time ago. Speaking of which, did this mean that he was actually gay? Was he bi? This had really shifted his whole belief of his sexuality. Thanks universe, once again.

"We probably should leave my house. I'd very much prefer if my father never ever had to know about this past week. I don't want him giving me a very awkward conversation about sex again. I've gone through that once and I'm scarred for life because of it; let's not do a repeat performance." That had not been one of Stiles' highlights. It was something he and his dad _never _talked about, way too awkward. It was a taboo subject in the house, but who knew if his dad would stupidly believe it was his fatherly duty to go over the dude side again. And yes, his father had done both sex talks, which was more horrifying.

"You're going to have to lend me some clothing, though." Derek's tone was a bit embarrassed and he even had a little blush going on.

"What happened to what you were wearing before?" Stiles asked quietly as he got out of bed, rather reluctantly, to rummage through his drawers and find something for Derek to wear. There really wasn't much that would fit Derek's wider physique since Stiles was shaped differently.

"Remember when I said that I had to run back since I'd waited too long?" Derek questioned and Stiles nodded, still not getting it as he threw a shirt over at Derek. It would be too small, but it was the best Stiles could come up with. "I shifted into my alpha wolf form and kind of ripped them in the process."

"Ah." Stiles said, understanding what he meant. He found a pair of track pants that might possibly fit Derek before he rummaged and got his own clothes. He didn't bother with underwear since it would be pointless to wear. Finally dressed, he turned to see Derek looking ridiculous in the clothes Stiles had given him. Stiles went to say something or laugh but Derek cut him off with a glare.

"Don't even think about it." He grumbled out, but Stiles couldn't help the amused smile that adorned his face.

"Your threats aren't as scary after having seen you naked for the past few days." Stiles joked, but his body seemed to heat at the thought of naked Derek. Seriously heat? They had just put clothing on, and he could already feel the beginning heat start to surfacing. The reappearance of the heat wasn't lost on Derek, whose eyes had taken a lustful look. Stiles shook his head, ignoring his body's want as he grabbed his keys from the dresser.

"No! Don't even think about it! We're getting into the jeep then driving to yours without anything happening or any clothing being taken off! My dad is not going to wake up from all the noise and walk in on us. That is not happening!" Stiles hustled Derek out of the room, trying to tiptoe so as to not wake up his dad. It was odd, sneaking a man out of his room. He could honestly say this was not what he had envisioned.

"If I recall, you're the one who's loud." Derek whispered to Stiles as they walked down the stairs. Stiles barely managed to contain the choked noise as his cheeks heated up. He grabbed the banister to help walk downstairs, but he shot Derek a glare, just as the wolf was smirking at him.

"Seriously? I'm not the one who growls the whole time." Stiles hissed back, walking quickly to the door so they could get to the jeep. Derek was right behind him as they got outside and as they got to the jeep, Derek pushed Stiles against the door, turning him so that Stiles was facing him. He bent close, nose brushing underneath Stiles' neck. Stiles vaguely registered it as Derek scenting him, making sure his scent was still there, but Stiles could feel his body heating up more from it.

"I'm pretty sure you enjoy the growling." Derek whispered against Stiles' neck before giving it a lick and walking around to the passenger side of the car. It took a moment for Stiles to compose himself before he climbed into the jeep and started the engine. How the hell was he supposed to drive? No, he had to. He had to get back to the Hale house and then whatever happened, happened. No way was he going to do anything embarrassing at his house, in front of his house or on the side of the road. The universe didn't like him enough as it was, he wasn't going to go begging for trouble.

The ride was silent, but it was filled with a strong tension. Stiles was barely containing himself from whimpering at the sizzling atmosphere, but he was impressed with his control. Derek didn't seem to be doing much better from the low growls that escaped every so often and the more scowly than usual look that was plastered to his face. Stiles couldn't even fill the silence with his mindless chitchat, positive that opening his mouth would be the biggest mistake of his life. He could do this, it just was a bit further than everything would be ok.

They weren't too far when Stiles whimpered suddenly, eyes going wide as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Derek's face whipped around to face him and his nose twitched at the scent of pain that was no doubt in the air. The slow burn was getting on the painful side, and Stiles could feel the sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"Stiles" Derek warned but Stiles shook his head. They were so close, Stiles could manage. Hell, he managed for so long yesterday, he could manage a few minutes longer. He was stronger than what everyone gave him credit for.

"I'm fine. We're almost there." Stiles' voice was tense and strained, but he ignored Derek's warning growl. Whatever, the wolf could control himself. Stiles was the one in pain at the moment, and he was going to make it to the house. They finally pulled up the long driveway to Derek's and Stiles felt his body start to shake from his restraint from making more noises. It wasn't like it had been yesterday, but it was still painful. Stiles had a really low pain tolerance, so he was impressed with his ability to keep the noises contained.

As soon as the jeep stopped, Derek flew out of the vehicle and was almost ripping at Stiles' door. It was proof of how much pain Stiles was in since he didn't even think about going off at Derek for the mistreatment of his jeep. Derek's bare fingers on Stiles' skin seemed to calm and cool him down to a manageable heat and he willingly let Derek drag him out of the car, getting thrown over Derek's shoulder before making their way to the house.

From this angle Stiles got a really good look at Derek's ass and he had to admit it really was a nice ass. Better take it all in before he lost his free pass, he thought forlornly, but that trail of thought was interrupted with Derek getting into the house and shoving him against the closed door. _Déjà vu,_ he thought before all thoughts disappeared when Derek's lips slammed into Stiles'. Teeth crashed together, tongues tangled in what had to be the messiest kiss ever, but Stiles couldn't even mind. Derek was kissing him, the guy he loved was kissing him, as if he was the most attractive person on earth. He was never going to have this opportunity again, so he was making the most of it. Every movement, every feeling was being burned to his brain.

Derek's hands were gripped tight around his waist, mouth devouring Stiles as he pushed his body hard against Stiles. There was no skill to the kissing, but there didn't need to be. This was about easing the heat, easing the hormone that was burning through Stiles' body and no doubt Derek's. They eventually managed to pull away and gasp for air, Derek's deep breathes hitting Stiles' neck.

"Bed." Stiles managed to get out, and Derek nodded, moving away and grabbing Stiles' hand as he made his way up the stairs. Stiles was half dragged behind him, but he didn't mind as they made it to the bedroom, instantly attaching their mouths. Stiles couldn't help the whimper that escaped his throat as Derek moved his mouth to Stiles' neck, sucking at the skin there and nipping it none-too gently.

Hands clawed at clothing, throwing the unnecessary barriers hazardously around the room without a second thought. Skin on skin contact made Stiles gasp and he gripped Derek's hair tightly, forcing his head up to kiss him again. Derek walked forward, forcing Stiles backwards until his knees hit the bed and he fell, Derek following him down. Their erections rubbed against each other from the movement, Stiles arching up as Derek hissed out.

Stiles knew this was going to be the last time that they did this. He didn't want to lose this, to lose the intimacy between he and Derek, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Knowing that he could never have this again was a dark thought that managed to overpower the burning arousal and desire in his veins for a moment, enough time for a thought to jump to his mind.

"I want to try something." Stiles managed to gasp out as Derek grinded into him hard. Precum had already started slicking up between them, but Stiles managed to push Derek to the side. Derek was lying on his back as Stiles straddled him, leaning over to the bedside table and pulling out the lube. With shaky hands, he managed to get it on his fingers before lifting his hips up and circling his entrance. Derek seemed entranced at the sight, Stiles preparing himself for Derek. Taking in a deep breath, Stiles pushed a finger through, whimpering at the intrusion. The heat was still there, but it wasn't hurting him. It was urging him to hurry up and get on with it, which Stiles was happy to oblige to.

When Stiles was positive he could take it, he added another finger, scissoring and stretching his muscles while lubing it up. The pads of his fingers rubbed against his prostate, he couldn't help but jerk and groan at the sparks that shot through his body. Derek growled from underneath him, hands rubbing against the sides of Stiles' legs, while his eyes were completely black with his desire. Just the sight of Derek so desperate for him had Stiles' breath hitching and he hurried to finish the prep.

Three fingers easily slid into him, and Derek had become impatient. Derek's fingers tightened on Stiles' thighs, a growl much lower than before rumbling from his chest. Stiles let his fingers slip out before lubing Derek's cock, frantic to feel Derek in him. Lining himself up by holding the base of Derek's cock, Stiles gently lowered himself down. He felt his muscles giving way to accept Derek in, and he moaned as Derek easily slid in. He was still tight, positive nothing he could do would ever prepare him for the thickness of Derek, letting his body adjust to the invasion.

Fully seated in Derek, he could feel the wolf struggling to let Stiles take control, his body tight and tense with his restraint. But Stiles didn't want Derek to hold back, he wanted to feel Derek lose control, to take from Stiles what he was so willing to give. Using his thigh muscles, he pulled himself back up before slamming back down, his breath escaping him as Derek jerked below him. Fire washed through his body and Stiles was quickly back up and slamming down hard again.

Sweat poured off his body as he continued the hard thrusts, hands gripping Derek's shoulders tightly. Derek was shaking underneath him and Stiles was determined to make the man to lose control. He went faster, digging his fingers harder into Derek and making louder noises. Yet Derek still held tight to Stiles' thighs, unwilling to make Stiles go faster or do anything other than what Stiles wanted. Leaning forward, Stiles continued moving his hips up and down, but his lips trailed to Derek's neck, tongue tasting the salty skin before his teeth clamped down. That seemed to be the switch that turned on Derek's controlling side, and Stiles felt the bruising grip of Derek's hands on his hips before Derek was meeting his thrusts, hands manipulating Stiles' hips into going harder and faster.

Stiles couldn't help the gasps and moans that escaped, sounding broken and whorish even to his own ears. Derek wasn't doing much better, growling and whining underneath him as his hips pistoled into Stiles. This was exactly what Stiles wanted, exactly what he needed. He loved the positioning, but he loved it more with Derek in control. The angle was just perfect for Stiles, and he could feel the familiar tingle at the base of his spine. He could tell Derek was getting close too by the flash of red that colored his eyes.

"Derek, I'm.. I'm about to- D-Derek!" Stiles yelled out just as his body suddenly tensed and his muscles tightened, pure pleasure shooting throughout his body as he came, come splattering on Derek's chest. His hands were white from the grip they had on Derek's shoulders and Stiles was gasping and shaking as he spilled onto both of them. Stiles coming must have trigged Derek off because suddenly Derek gave a massive snarl and then teeth clamped onto Stiles' neck, canines distended and digging right into Stiles' flesh.

Stiles was sure if he had been able to, he would have come again just from the pleasure- pain that erupted through his system. Instead all he was able to do was grip Derek tighter where they were connected and cry out. Derek spurted deep into him, his hips jerking into Stiles every so often. Eventually Derek pulled his teeth out of Stiles, head flopping backwards onto the bed. Stiles collapsed on top of Derek, landing in a gross puddle of cum mixed with sweat but unable to really care about it. That had been amazing, better than mind-blowing. Stiles was sure that he was never going to forget that.

Derek was softening in Stiles, so Stiles pulled off slowly, whimpering at the oversensitivity and the loss of connection between them. Stiles slid off Derek to lie next to him, eyes closed as he felt his body cooling down. He was so tired that he didn't want to move, so he didn't, instead letting his heart beat slow.

"That was…" Stiles started, but he couldn't finish the sentence. He had no idea how to properly word it but Derek seemed to get what he meant.

"Yeah." Was the reply. Stiles knew that Derek had understood. "That was mating heat." Derek said simply, but there was a happy tone to his voice. Stiles smiled, still unable to move. He could feel the cum getting sticky on him and he was slowly getting uncomfortable from it all. He felt gross, pretty sure that he needed a really good shower again.

They had both calmed down, but Stiles could feel the awkwardness setting in. It was weird, having had sex with him so many times and yet here they were, in what was an awkward situation. Mating heat was over, but what was Stiles supposed to do? There really wasn't a manual as to how to handle situations like this, and Stiles was pretty sure people really didn't get into these situations.

It was really over. Mating heat was over, but so was Stiles and Derek. Not that they had ever been, but Stiles had been able to pretend for the few days that they actually were a thing. What now? How the hell was Stiles supposed to live his life after this? How was he ever supposed to have sex after this? Nothing could compare to what they'd done together.

"So…" Stiles said, wincing at just how terrible a line that was but pushing on anyways. "I guess you don't really need me anymore." That hurt, that hurt really bad. His heart was already aching for Derek, despite lying naked next to him. How was he supposed to walk away?

"The mating heat is finished. You don't have to be here anymore. You won't be bothered by it again." Derek's voice had lost its warmth and there was the clipped response Stiles had been dreading. He closed his eyes, unwilling to attempt to go back to normal, but it was inevitable. Stiles had been given a taste of something he could never have again. And it really hurt.

"Ah ok then." Stiles responded as he sat up, wincing from the slight pain from his lower half. Yep, those were bruises on his hips, although he secretly loved the proof that what had happened was real. He felt something wet on his neck and when he touched his hand to it, it came back red. "Um you bit me. Like really hard." He gave a worried look at Derek, who was watching Stiles with the mask back on.

"Don't worry about it. To turn someone you have to have intent, and I didn't intend to do it. I tried to avoid it since I lost most of my control during the heat, but you should be fine." Derek sat up and stretched, but Stiles turned away. He didn't get to check out Derek anymore. He was back to being the dorky human pack member who had trouble staying out of trouble, yet again.

"Yeah, that's fine then." Stiles got up and located his pants, shoving them on without looking at Derek. He found his shirt thrown across the room and grabbed it, shoving it on before slipping his shoes on that had been quickly taken off at the doorway. "So we just pretend this never happened?" _Say no, please say no, Derek. _His mind whispered, but he kept a neutral expression on his face.

"That would be for the best." Stiles nodded, feeling his heart break right in front of him. What did he expect? Some sudden epiphany on Derek's half stating how he had suddenly realised he was in love with Stiles and wanted to keep Stiles? _Yes, _his mind supplied, but his mind was stupid. It was his stupid mind that made him want more than what he could have. Nodding sharply, Stiles walked out of the room, hearing Derek follow him.

"I guess I'll see you when I see you." Stiles said as they got to the front door. Derek nodded and Stiles opened the door, turning his back to Derek. Part of him was begging for Derek to not let him go, for Derek to claim that he wanted to keep Stiles. But it was hopeless.

"Stiles" Derek called out and Stiles heart suddenly lurched as he turned to Derek who had followed him on the porch, keeping his face devoid of all emotions. Derek seemed to struggle with something to say, which just made Stiles' heart beat even faster. "I'll watch out for your dad for you. I don't know how dangerous these hunters are." Derek eventually said and Stiles struggled to contain the tears in his eyes. Of course, his dad. Not Stiles.

"Thanks." Stiles got out before he got into his jeep, starting the engine and driving away, eyes flashing to the review mirror to see Derek watching him go. Derek was letting him go because Derek didn't want him. Stiles managed to get onto the main road before the tears started leaking down his face. He was acting like a freaking girl, and he couldn't find it in himself to care. He was hurt, so badly. He had lost Derek and there was no way he could ever have him. He was in love with his alpha who didn't love him back. Stiles let the tears fall, but resolved that as soon as he got out of this car, not another tear would be shed for that man.

As he pulled up to his driveway, he took a deep breath before killing the engine. He could do this. He was going to pretend this hadn't happened, because that was what Derek wanted. He might not be able to have Derek, but he could at least ensure that Derek was happy. Keeping this a secret would keep Derek happy. With that thought in mind, he got out of the car and went straight to the shower, ready to wash the physical evidence of what they'd done together away. Stiles could do this. Stiles was going to have to do this, if not for him then for Derek. Because this was what Derek wanted.

* * *

**A/N – I really wanted to get something out for you guys, and I hope you all like it. I'm not too sure how it's turned out, but I couldn't figure out how I wanted to end this chapter so I figured this would do. I really just wanted to give Stiles a big hug at the end, and I really hate doing this to him, but it's necessary. Things will turn out alright in the end! I promise!**

**So much thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story because you're the reason I continue writing this story! For those of you who've pm me, I am so grateful for your lovely words and suggestions! I seriously love hearing from you guys. **

**We're getting close to the end, I've got at least 3 more chapters planned, but you never know when it comes to me. Inspiration comes at the most random of times and I swear I've changed this plot a billion times. Hopefully it will all connect well at the end, but I'm never too sure. Thank you so much every single one of you who read this story! I say it all the time but you just don't understand how appreciative I am. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

Derek watched the jeep leave, knowing that a part of him was leaving with it. He wanted to run after Stiles, beg him to stay, but he refused to move. His wolf snarled and clawed at his control, desperate for its mate, _their mate, _but Derek couldn't allow it. The jeep left his sight, and he listened until it went onto the main road before he started moving. In a flash he had burst from his clothes and into his alpha form, discarding the rags as he ran into the forest, trying to run as far away as he could from Stiles, as far as he could from what Stiles was.

It was as if the animals in the forest could just sense the powerful emotions rolling off him. He was having an internal struggle with his wolf, refusing to let it have control despite how much it hurt to hold back, because he knew what it would do. And he couldn't do that. He ran for so long that he soon found himself somewhere in the middle of the forest, panting and shifting back into his human form. He collapsed on his knees, head in his hands as he felt the sob coming. His chest ached with the distance between him and Stiles, his heart desperate for the boy. He was an idiot, wanting Stiles, but it couldn't be helped. He'd fallen in love with the teenager.

It wasn't supposed to have meant anything. Hell, no one was supposed to come to the house. Derek had decided that he was just going to wait it out, avoid pulling anyone into the mating frenzy that the alphas went through. But when his wolf smelled Stiles, he knew it was a losing battle. He just didn't realise how much he was losing.

It could have been fine, but it was _Stiles. _That kid always seemed to get under his skin, first by being his friend when Derek needed it and then eventually his pack. Stiles had essentially been family to Derek. But now it was more. He had made his wolf realise that he wanted, no, _needed_ Stiles, and he couldn't do that. For one, Stiles was just too young, too like Derek when Kate had faked an interest in him. Those scars were still strong, still digging into his soul. He had thought that he had loved her and then she went and killed his family and any chance he had at a normal relationship.

He was broken, a shell of a man and a terrible alpha. What alpha took advantage of their human pack mate and forced them to participate in their mating heat? He should have been strong enough to let Stiles go. Stiles never wanted this, and yet he had been forced to give in and comply with Derek. Derek was disgusted in himself, unable to comprehend why he had allowed that to happen. Stiles never wanted this, never wanted him.

Who would want him anyway? Derek was always snarling and growling, less than courteous to everyone and even worse to his pack. And then he went and practically raped his own pack member. He was worse than Peter.

But none of that diminished his want and desire of Stiles. Stiles was intelligent, funny and a little bit of a dork, but that just made him more amazing to Derek. Derek felt alive and happy with Stiles, as if Stiles pushed away the bad and only left room for the good. Somehow that kid was his mate, the only person who he could ever be with, and he had screwed that up just like he had screwed up his life and his family's. Stiles deserved someone better and kinder, who actually was nice to him. Derek had ruined his chance and he wasn't going to tell Stiles about them being mates. He wasn't going to force Stiles ever again if he could help it. He had ruined everything.

Those thoughts made his wolf snarl and whine, ignoring his feelings because it wanted their mate. They were supposed to protect their mate, keep their mate safe, and yet the biggest predator was Derek. With that thought, he shifted back into his alpha form and howled mournfully into the sky, letting all the disgust of himself, the hurt and the sorrow manifest itself into that singular noise. Tears leaked down his face and he squared his shoulders, making his way back. Stiles wanted to pretend like none of that had ever happened, so Derek was going to give that much to him, because he had taken too much already.

* * *

Monday came which meant school, although Stiles wished he could have stayed in bed for the rest of his life. He had broken his promise to never cry about Derek as soon as he had gotten inside, and he couldn't even find it in himself to regret the decision. The whole weekend had been spend moping and curling up in his bed. _Derek didn't want you _went round and round his head, cutting him even deeper in his heart. Why would Derek ever want him anyway?

He got to school and barely paid attention in the classes. Scott sat next to him and poked him, trying to see what was wrong but Stiles merely grunted he was still getting over his illness. Scott was stupid enough to believe that and went about talking about Allison and how they were going on a date and other random things to do with Allison that Stiles just couldn't care about. He made noises every so often to let Scott think he was paying attention, all the while trying to supress that sadness and heartache he was feeling.

At lunch they were sitting with Danny, Jackson and Allison when Scott sniffed him, wrinkling his nose and giving Stiles an odd look.

"Dude, you stink of Derek. Why does it smell like he rolled all over you?" Stiles panicked for a moment, having forgotten about werewolf noses. He had showered so many times over the weekend in an attempt to get rid of the smell, even wearing cover-up to hide the bite that was on his neck.

"Uh, he came over for a while and um looked after me. You know, alpha duty to check up on sick pack members." Stiles waved his hand, acting like it was no big deal and that seemed to be enough for Scott who shrugged his shoulders and then started talking to Allison. Jackson looked over, having detected the obvious lie, but Stiles refused to look at him, instead pulling Danny into a conversation about lacrosse. Jackson soon jumped in and Stiles pulled out, barely paying attention to everyone around him while he picked at his food.

By the end of the day, Stiles just felt exhausted. His heart ached, his body felt tired and he just wanted to curl back into his blankets and never leave. There was a pack training session for the wolves that he would usually be trying to sneak into, but tonight he just couldn't find it in him to see Derek. How the hell was he supposed to act normal around Derek anymore? How was he supposed to pretend that he hadn't been fucked by Derek all week, and for some screwed up reason actually _enjoyed_ it? He just couldn't do it.

Walking to his jeep, he barely noticed Jackson leaning against his jeep door, keeping his eyes focused on Stiles. Stiles grunted a greeting before unlocking the passenger door and shoving his bag inside. Jackson was still watching him with a frown. Stiles didn't know what this was about, but he just wished that Jackson would hurry up. Stiles was pretty sure there was a tub of chocolate ice-cream sitting at home along with a DVD of The Notebook with his name on it. It didn't matter that they were what girls did when they were heartbroken, Stiles figured they weren't gender confined. And they did make things feel a little bit better. That could also just be the ice-cream but Stiles wasn't willing to test it out just in case.

"Hey, I know that we've never really been friends and I can be a bit of a dick." Jackson looked extremely uncomfortable while he rubbed the back of his neck, making Stiles a bit uncertain of where this was all going. "I just want you to know that if you ever need to talk about something, you can always talk to me. I won't make fun of you or anything because things are different. We're pack now."

Stiles was stunned, looking at Jackson with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. Part of him just wanted to spill his guts, whine to Jackson and see if Jackson couldn't help him either get over it or deal with it. But there was still a part that didn't trust him. They had a lot of history, none of it really good, and although things had changed, Stiles was still hesitant. Plus Jackson probably would make fun of him for getting screwed by the alpha. It should be funny, but it really wasn't.

"Thanks, Jackson. If ever I need to, I'll let you know." Jackson frowned, obviously thinking that Stiles needed him now, but Stiles wasn't going to unload. What if Jackson laughed, or worse, told Derek? If it got back to Derek, Derek would probably be freaked out and either try to avoid Stiles or possibly tell Stiles that they could never be, breaking him even further. Or worse, kick him out of the pack. Stiles couldn't risk it, no matter how much he wanted to tell someone.

They parted and Stiles drove home, instantly hitting the freezer and grabbing a spoon, curling up in front of the TV ready to cry from the movie instead of his own hopeless life. This was how the sheriff found him a few hours later, but Stiles warned him that he didn't want to talk about it. The sheriff was secretly grateful that they didn't have to talk about feelings, because that would be awkward, but he also wished that Stiles didn't look so pitiful as he did, moaning about how Noah and Allie were meant to be.

* * *

Jackson knew something was up between Stilinski and Derek as soon as he smelled Derek all over Stiles. They had been warned away from Derek's house for the week and then halfway through Stiles suddenly gets sick only to come back at the end of that time stinking of the alpha? So not suss.

And it wasn't just Stiles' scent that was different, it was the way they were acting. Stiles was moping around and acting completely out of character. No longer did he have his mouth going a hundred miles an hour, or even back chat against Mr Harris' obvious hate, he just sat there and took it. Scott didn't notice because he was so enthralled with Allison. McCall was possibly the worst best friend. He actually believed Stiles when he said it was the after effects of being sick, despite the obvious lie. That was one reason why Jackson was a better werewolf.

And Derek was just angrier than usual, snapping quicker and being cranky. He made them train every day and didn't even bother asking where Stiles was or how he was doing. He smelled like Stiles too, but Jackson had enough self-preservation not to ask about it. He pushed them so much harder than he had before, but got extremely angry when they couldn't keep up. Every lesson ended with Derek telling them how useless they were and then wolfing out, disappearing into the forest.

Yeah, something was definitely wrong between those two.

And Jackson had been trying to find out. He'd been going out of his way to be nice to Stilinski, so much that even Danny had noticed his change of attitude. Whatever, the point was that if he could figure out what was going on between the two of them, maybe he could fix it and things would go back to normal or at least be better than what they were now. It wasn't that Jackson was being nice or anything, he just was sick of all the fighting and tension. Scott was too dumb to do anything about it so that left Jackson. And the best way to figure out what was going on would be at the pack meeting this Friday. He might be able to suss everything out while those two were in the same room and then he could fix it. That was the plan.

* * *

Stiles was desperate to figure out a way to get out of the meeting tonight. He knew he was expected, but he didn't think he could face being in the same room with Derek. Yeah, he had been trying to get over everything during the week, but a week wasn't long enough to get over anyone! This was worse than whatever he had felt with Lydia. Lydia had just been an infatuation but this was just something more. It wasn't love, he didn't think he could admit that, but it was deeper than anything he had ever felt.

Scott was chatting as they drove over after school, whining about how he and Allison had to cancel a date because of her dad and then proceeding to talk about every bad thing he could think of about her dad. Stiles tuned it out, trying not to freak out as they made their way to Derek's. It was still light outside, still different than when he had gone over for that fucking text book last week, but the similarities were still there. He clenched the wheel tight and hoped that he could just get through it without making it obvious that things had happened last week.

Jackson was already there with Danny when they pulled up, Danny having just been introduced to the pack. This was his first pack meeting and Stiles didn't want to screw it up by making a fool of himself in front of him or the others. He took a deep breath, willing his body to relax, before getting out of the car and joining Scott in his walk into the house. His heart was beating fast, and he knew that the wolves would be able to hear it, but Stiles put a bored expression on his face to confuse them.

The first thing that Stiles noticed was that there was a new couch in the living room. Gone was the ratty thing where Derek had first fucked him, in its place a newer, but still second hand lounge. Stiles went to the corner and sat down stiffly, Scott bounding over and flopping down while they waited for Derek. It wasn't long before he walked in and Stiles couldn't breathe for a moment.

Stiles wished he could hate him, wished that Derek was uglier so that it didn't hurt so much, but it wasn't true. Derek stood at the front and started talking, bringing them up to date on the pack's status, looking like a leader. Stiles avoided checking him out, keeping his eyes at Derek's face before finding it too much to look at and staring at the old fireplace. His palms were sweaty and he cursed his body for betraying what he was feeling. Derek didn't want to know, didn't want Stiles, he needed to control himself.

The meeting felt like forever. Derek introduced Danny to the pack officially, telling him a bit about werewolves and what it meant to be in the pack. Usually Stiles would jump in with a question, trying to wheedle more information from him, but he didn't trust his voice. He thought he was holding himself together pretty darn well since Derek didn't seem to change his expression. Danny asked some questions, but Stiles wasn't paying close attention, instead trying to avoid watching Derek. Derek, who was so close and yet so far. Derek, who wasn't Stiles' and never would be Stiles'. Derek who he wanted so badly but never could have. It was becoming too much.

By some unseen power, Derek dismissed them and they made their way back to the car. Danny offered Scott a lift home since he lived closer which meant that Stiles could be alone in the car, not pressured to try and pretend to keep up with Scott's conversation. Jackson was giving him a funny look but Stiles merely got into his Jeep and drove home. He kept his breathing even, trying to focus on the music that was playing loudly from his stereo. The music was barely keeping the thoughts away, but Stiles knew he couldn't avoid it for so long.

Derek had acted like nothing had ever happened, and in a way Stiles was happy, but he was also just so hurt. It meant that Derek really did believe that the mating heat had been nothing and that Stiles meant nothing to him. The tears started leaking down his face and he struggled to keep himself able to drive. He just had to make it home, then he was allowed to wallow in his crappy life and wish that Derek would love him.

Pulling into his driveway, he was surprised to see Jackson pull up right behind him, so he hastily wiped away the tears, cursing himself for not noticing the other teen following him. Jackson was going to be able to smell the tears but Stiles hoped he didn't say anything. He was so close to losing it and he couldn't do that to Jackson who would probably run away at the sight of tears.

"What's up Jackson?" Stiles asked half-heartedly, trying to sound like nothing was wrong. He knew he failed when Jackson sighed out, rubbing his face and looking at Stiles like he really cared. The bite had really changed Jackson for the better, although he still had a tendency to be an ass.

"Stiles, what's going on between you and Derek?" His voice was genuine, like he genuinely wanted to know, like he actually cared, and it was too much for Stiles. The tears started flowing and Stiles turned away, trying to calm his breathing and avoid the gross sobs that would no doubt come. A hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to see Jackson's worried face. That was enough to get the words blurting out.

"Derek told us not to go to his house last week because he was going through some mating fever that only alphas go through and I had to go to his house during the week, but that meant I had to finish his heat with him. Basically it was just a lot of sex that we had to do because of some mating hormone pumping through both of us and it ended on Saturday." Stiles stumbled over a few of the words but he managed to finish, feeling the tiniest bit better about it all.

"You're upset that you had to go through it? That it wasn't a choice?" Jackson kept his voice low and quiet and Stiles shook his head at the words. He should be upset that it wasn't a choice, but given a choice he probably would have chosen to go through with it. He would have chosen Derek, not that it mattered anymore.

"I'm glad I went through it! I'm actually happy that I did it! I fucking fell in love with him, Jackson! I fell in love with him and he doesn't love me back. He doesn't want me and I feel like an idiot but I just can't get over him! I'm such an idiot." Stiles turned away and tried to calm down, the tears blurring his vision as he struggled to keep himself together. He felt like he was breaking, telling Jackson just brought all the hurt and want to the surface. He wanted Derek so much, and it was hurting him.

"What do you mean he doesn't want you?" Jackson frowned, but Stiles laughed harshly at himself and the question. It shouldn't even be a question, because Stiles' flaws were way too obvious.

"Why would he want me, Jackson? He wanted things to go back to normal, to pretend that it had never happened. And I love him enough to do that for him. So I'll go about my life, wanting the one person I can't have and watching him get with other people because I'm not good enough for him. I don't blame him, but I wish it wasn't so." Stiles seemed to deflate and looked over at Jackson with dead eyes. "Don't tell the pack, I don't want any more embarrassment so just keep it to yourself."

He left Jackson on the driveway as he unlocked the house and got inside. The tears had thankfully stopped but the ache was even stronger in his heart. He just had to learn how to deal with everything since this was going to be his life. Walking into the kitchen, he saw a post-it note from his dad asking him to go get some groceries since they were practically out of everything. He had nothing better to do, so he took the money from the note left for shopping and went back into the jeep, glad to see that Jackson had left. He couldn't deal with any of it at the moment.

The shop was practically empty as Stiles collected the basics, eventually standing in front of the freezer and contemplating if he should get another tub of chocolate ice-cream or splurging for the double choc fudge that promised to be even sweeter and soothing for his soul. He hadn't noticed that he was rubbing his neck, right where the final bite was. Derek had been right that the mating hormone would stop healing after the mating heat, which meant that he had left his fang marks right where people could see.

"Are you alright there?" A man said next to him, having noticed Stiles rubbing at the bite. Stiles noticed him staring, seeing that the makeup had been smudged from his fingers. He blushed before trying to hide it with his collar.

"Uh yeah, just a really odd place for a mosquito bite." He gave a half-hearted laugh and the man gave him a small smile and an odd look before moving away. The man had just managed to further rub in the fact that the mark meant nothing to Derek, so he decided he needed the double choc fudge ice-cream that would help him end up in a food coma. As he placed it in his cart, he decided to grab something for he and the sheriff to eat that night, passing the man from before who was busy talking on a phone while staring at some meat.

Eventually Stiles decided on just getting premade hamburger patties for them and making sure to grab hamburger rolls also before getting to the cash register. He thanked the old lady who served him and she gave him a big smile, one that Stiles just couldn't return. Maybe ice-cream before dinner was the perfect idea. He could just leave the dinner for the sheriff to deal with while he rested peacefully in a sugar induced sleep for the rest of the weekend.

Stiles was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the dark SUV pulled up next to his jeep, or that the man who had been talking on his phone earlier was leaning against the outside of it. Stiles packed the groceries into the back of his jeep but before he could get in the car, he was grabbed from behind, a hand wrapping around his mouth to stop the scream. More people grabbed him, using a rope to tie his hands and ankles up so he wouldn't be able to thrash around so much. Masking tape was shoved onto his lips and Stiles was panicking. Pure fear ran through him as he was thrown into the SUV and joined with the man from the store looking at him with a mixture of delight and malice.

"Looks like we managed to snag ourselves an Alpha's mate. I'm surprised they let you out of their sight." The man said, no hint of the concern from before. Another man came into view, sneering at Stiles as he pushed him down to his feet, kicking him once before getting comfortable. Something was digging into his bag and he moved slightly to see a wooden crossbow shoved carelessly. It all clicked as Stiles looked over to the smirking men as the car started, driving away from the store.

These must be the hunters who had killed those people out in the forest. These men who were the bad hunters who didn't follow a proper code or care that there was a treaty with the local wolf pack and the hunters. These hunters who thought that Stiles was Derek's mate. These people who were taking him to some place that even Derek hadn't been able to find. The feeling of dread became stronger as Stiles knew that he was fucked.

**A/N I'm a bit iffy about Derek's POV but I decided that I just couldn't get exactly what I wanted onto paper. This was actually supposed to be longer, but I realised the word count was really long and I've had to split it up a bit. That means there may possibly be three more parts, but I think it still might be two more. But surprise! The hunters are back! **

**Thanks to everyone who reads and follows this story, I love writing and hearing your opinions of it. Everyone had been so incredibly lovely with comments and it makes it easier to write since I know so many people love it. I've got like 250 of you guys following this story, which blows my mind and I'm ever so grateful for your support!**

**I had a thought that I should put a cover for this story but I'm hopeless when it comes to drawing, so I was wondering if anyone wanted to make something for it? It doesn't matter if it's photoshopped or drawn but it would be really appreciated! Just PM me and I'll get back to you! **

**Once again, a long winded AN but I love you guys! Thanks so much!**


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as Stiles had left Jackson standing on his porch, he had gotten right back into his car to drive over to Derek's. Seriously, they were both the biggest idiots ever. Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that they were in love with each other, and it finally made sense to Jackson. What would this pack do without him? Grumbling about their stupidity, Jackson pulled up at the Hale house just as Derek watched him with angry eyes.

"You are a fucking idiot!" Jackson said the instant he opened his door, slamming it behind him before walking over to Derek and pointing a finger right in his chest. He ignored the growl that sounded, even if his wolf wanted to roll over and bare his stomach. This was more important than acting submissive. The back of his mind registered that he actually _cared _about Stilinski's feelings. Whatever. It was probably a pack thing, he tried to comfort himself. No way that Jackson _willingly _cared.

"How the hell can you not see it?" Jackson looked incredulously at the older wolf and barely contained his own growl. "Why are you acting blind? I don't understand it!"

"Jackson." Derek growled, but he looked slightly confused at Jackson's outburst. Jackson rolled his eyed but stood his ground. He needed to get this out so they could work things out and they could stop being assholes. Jackson was sick of it.

"He's been moping all week and I tried to get him to tell me what's going on, and he cracked today! He's gone home in tears!" Jackson yelled at Derek, getting himself worked up. How dumb could a person be? "He broke down right in front of me and told me about your mating heat and how much it actually meant to him! He told me that he loves you but you don't love him back!"

Derek looked stunned at the words from Jackson, not moving and not growling either. His eyes were wide as he looked at his pack mate before his expression dimmed and he looked away, the scowl and pain back on his face. "That's not true, Jackson. Stiles wants to forget what happened and he's entitled to. He doesn't love me." Derek's voice was far from strong, barely keeping in the sadness from his voice.

Jackson made an exasperated noise before turning away, before he did something rash. Neither thought the other loved the other, and they were acting so fucking dumb! And why the hell was he so invested in what happened to these two? It didn't make sense but he had the deepest desire to fix it. Whatever.

"It's true! You need to get your head out of your ass and look what's right in front of you! Listen to my heart if you can't believe me! Stiles. Loves. You. He is resigned to never having you because you won't get past your issues and go for him!" Jackson stopped his rant, breathing heavily before his tone changed. "He's hurting because of you, Derek. And he shouldn't be."

"I'm not good for him, Jackson." Derek finally said after a pause, his voice strained as he looked away from Jackson. "I'll hurt him more. I can't confine him to me like that." Jackson looked at his alpha, seeing the hurt right at the front and feeling the heaviness in the air. He sighed, rubbing his face before speaking more.

"You can't choose that for him. And without you, he's broken. This isn't our Stiles. You saw him in the meeting, and even I could scent his misery." Jackson's voice was soft as he looked pleadingly up at Derek.

"He was miserable because he had to see me. I practically raped him! I'm worse than Peter." Derek walked away slightly, pure misery exerted from his body. Jackson flinched away from it slightly, but he held firm. He growled low in his throat at Derek's mention of Peter.

"No you're not. Don't you dare think you took advantage of him. You know what he told me? Derek?" Jackson demanded the alpha's attention. When the green eyes looked at him with sadness and pain, Jackson knew he had to help them. "He told me he was glad that he went through it. That he fell in love with you. You know I wouldn't lie about something like this."

There was nothing left for Jackson to say, so he got into his car and left the alpha, who was looking in the distance with a twisted expression, disbelief evident. Jackson had done what he could for now. Hopefully he'd managed to get some sense into Derek's mind because he didn't know what else to do. Whatever. It wasn't his problem anymore. He felt better about himself as he drove away, which didn't make any sense since he was helping out Stiles. And when had he even become Stiles rather than Stilinski? Whatever.

* * *

Derek watched as Jackson left, his heart beating fast as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. Inside he was struggling to understand. Jackson hadn't been lying, his heart had been strong and his voice true. But that couldn't be right! Stiles had said that they should pretend it never happened. _Stiles. Loves. You. _

The words struck his heart and that was it. He couldn't stay put. His wolf howled for his mate, howling for what was rightfully his and he couldn't control it anymore. Derek was running, pulling out his keys and diving for the Camaro. His heart was hammering in his chest, like it was trying to beat out of his body. _Stiles loves you! _His mind repeated over and over, making him itch to hurry up and find his mate. He should have done it earlier, should have told Stiles, but he had been too focused on doing what was right for Stiles.

How could he not have seen it? Jackson had managed to open his eyes from brooding and he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. _Stiles loves you. _They'd wasted a week of being idiots, and Derek promised that he was going to make up for it. Stiles was good for him, was perfect for him. His wolf was burning with excitement of it all, knowing that in a few moments he would be with his mate and everything would just feel _right. _

The jeep wasn't in the driveway when Derek pulled up, but he got out of the car quickly, scenting the air. Stiles had been here, smelling like pain and misery. His wolf whimpered, knowing that he was the cause of that. Derek promised he would do everything he could to fix it when he found Stiles. Hopefully the teen wouldn't be upset with Derek for being an idiot, and hopefully Jackson was telling the truth. But even if he wasn't, Derek had to let Stiles make the choice.

Derek went to the front door and unlocked it with his claw, not hearing any heartbeats in the house. Maybe Stiles had left something inside about where he had gone. Derek couldn't sit still and wait for him, he was too nervous and excited. His wolf was restless, demanding what it had been denied all week. Derek wanted to kick himself for leaving it until now, having gone through all that misery, but he was here now and that was what was important.

This felt so right, looking for Stiles, that he just _knew_ they were mates. When it had been Kate, his wolf had hated her despite Derek trying to convince it that they loved her. If only he had listened to his wolf. That didn't matter anymore, though. Stiles loved him. _Stiles loves you! _In the kitchen Derek found the note letting him know that Stiles was currently at the grocery store. It wouldn't be right to go and confess his love for Stiles there, but Derek didn't care. Derek ran to the Camaro, careful not to speed as he drove to the store. He would make a fool of himself, he'd put himself on the line, because he loved Stiles. He actually loved him. _Stiles loves you!_

Derek spotted Stiles' jeep sitting in the parking lot, and Derek thought maybe he should wait around the car. Stiles would probably not want to be in public with Derek, especially if it got back to his father. The Sheriff was going to be another matter to deal with, but Derek didn't care. He would have _Stiles, _his mate, his Stiles. So he pulled up next to the jeep and stepped out, only the wind was knocked out of him the moment he smelled the air.

That wasn't what he had been expecting. It smelled exactly like the hunters, the same ones he had been chasing during the heat. And mixed in with the foul stench of death and wolfs bane was Stiles and his panic. Heart beating heavy, still in a state of partial shock, Derek walked over to the jeep and peered inside, seeing the groceries inside, but no Stiles. The ice cream was partially melted, and Derek walked around the jeep, stepping on something metal. He peered down and spotted Stiles' keys.

Stiles wasn't here. It smelled like his panic and the hunters. It all clicked and Derek struggled with his wolf for a moment. They had taken Stiles, taken _his mate. _Refraining from howling in vengeance as the wolf demanded, Derek pulled out his phone with trembling hands. He typed a number and waited for a moment, the line being picked up.

"They've got Stiles."

* * *

...

"Tell us who your mate is now! Tell us who is in the pack!" The man demanded once again before his fist slammed hard into Stiles' stomach. He would have thrown up if there was anything left to vomit, but instead he dry heaved before coughing in an attempt to breath. They'd been at this for what seemed like hours. Three men stood in the old room, watching Stiles with sneers and hatred. One of the men even looked gleeful at torturing Stiles. He had thrown up all around him from the punches, his throat rough and scratchy from the bile.

"I don't have a mate!" Stiles tried to yell, instead gasping out at the words he struggled to communicate. His face was swollen, black and blue from the punches and kicks as he didn't answer the questions the way they wanted. They would kill his pack if they ever found out, and Stiles refused to tell them. He didn't even tell them Jackson's name which proved just how much the pack was family to him now.

It had gone like this, them demanding answers while Stiles refused to give them what they wanted. They'd punch and kick and throw him around the room, bruising his body and breaking his bones. There were probably a few ribs broken from the difficulty he had breathing, but Stiles tried not to think about it too hard. He was still tied up, ankles together behind him while his wrists were tied behind his back. Forced on his knees, he struggled to remain upright and look at his tormentors. The room was large, probably an old sitting room in the old house they were in. The windows were blocked with dirty, black curtains, keeping the light's undetectable from outside. Dust, dirt and leaves covered the floor which just showed how abandoned this place was.

"You know we don't believe you. You've got the bite marks on your neck, an alpha's mark of being mates. So tell us, and we'll let you live." The bulkiest one walked forward, the one with the gleeful expression, squatting as he looked straight at Stiles. Stiles flinched away, since this guy had been the cause for the ribs breaking, but he refused to answer. He may be human, but this was his pack. And he wasn't mated, Derek didn't want him.

"I don't have a mate." He gritted out, but he was smacked in the jaw yet again, toppling him to the side and making him bite his tongue. Stiles spat out the blood, feeling it slowly slip from his mouth but still he relented. He would protect his pack at all costs. The man grunted, pulling him back to his knees before reaching to his pants.

"Hey, Ryan, what are you doing?" The smaller man stepped forward with his hand out as if to stop Ryan. Ryan looked over at him and smirked as he pulled out a small knife. "You can't kill him, we need information."

"I don't plan on killing him. But we need information, and obviously a few punches don't seem to be doing the job well enough. We'll just let him really feel the pain. His precious pack isn't worth this much agony." The other hunters shrugged and took back to the wall to watch the proceedings and Stiles felt his stomach drop. He had been wrong, the mating heat had nothing on this.

"Derek! We need you to calm down right now!" Chris watched the alpha struggling to contain himself. Scott was likewise uneasy as his alpha paced, whimpering slightly. He could feel Derek's pain and anger, mirroring his own. His pack mate and best friend was missing and instead of running and trying to find him, Scott was stuck inside while Chris tried to get more information of where they could be hiding.

"THEY HAVE STILES!" Derek roared out, eyes flashing and fangs growing before he growled and paced again, teeth pulling back. Scott whimpered and shrunk away from the anger of Derek, desperate to get out and find him. There was a noise at the door and Jackson walked in, eyes flashing gold as the Sheriff trailed behind him, face pale and body shaking slightly. He saw Derek and felt the anger in the air and flinched away.

"Where's Stiles?" He turned to Chris who winced and checked his phone once again. It had been necessary to bring the Sheriff into their world, despite having tried to avoid it. This was his son, and they had to let him know what was happening. Jackson had gone and grabbed him from the station stating it was important before revealing himself and telling him everything he needed to know. But Jackson hadn't told him about Stiles being missing, he must have heard Derek yelling.

"He's been kidnapped by hunters." Derek growled low at that, venom easily discernible. "We're trying to find him, Sheriff. I suggest you take a seat and back away from Derek. He's not coping." The Sheriff shook his head before pacing, far away from Derek, but still looking as angry and worried.

They were waiting for Chris' contacts to tell them where Stiles might be. They could try and search Beacon Hills for the teen, but that would be stupid and there was no way they would be able to comb it quick enough to find them. Now that they had a human as hostage, the other hunters were more willing to tell Chris where they were. It was one thing killing werewolves, it was another kidnapping humans, especially teenagers. Chris was just waiting for the location before they stormed in.

"How long has he been missing?" The Sheriff asked, looking between Derek and Chris, knowing they were in charge. Allison had Scott's hand in her own, pale and shaky as she worried. Victoria stood in the dining room, watching it all with calculating eyes. Two other hunters were waiting with her, not wanting to be anywhere near the feral alpha. He was dangerous, and they had their bows ready to hit him if he went violent.

"Since about 5.30." Chris said softly, wishing he had better news. It was currently 10pm which meant it had almost been five hours since Stiles had been taken. Chances weren't in their favour of finding Stiles alive, hence them bringing the Sheriff in. Derek snarled at the information, body getting fuzzier. There wasn't any way for them to comfort him or calm him, he was too strung tight since he had found Stiles' jeep.

"Why? Why do they have him? He isn't a wolf, is he?" The Sheriff only stumbled slightly on the word wolf and he looked over at Scott who shook his head. "Then why?" his voice cracked, as he sunk into the couch, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Derek had stopped pacing and looked over at the Sheriff, eyes bright red and fangs already slipping past his lips. His growl stopped, but he looked over at the man with anger and pain in his eyes.

"Stiles is pack." He said before looking away and whispering "and my mate." There was silence in the room, the hunters looking incredulously over at Derek. His body was tense and shaking from him trying to control the shift. Jackson didn't seem surprised by the admission, but Scott stared with his jaw open.

"I knew you were in mating heat. You took Stiles as your heat mate?" Chris asked, an edge to his voice. Derek turned and snarled at him, face alight with fury. "Stiles is only 17!" He looked over at Derek, not happy with what he had just discovered.

"I told them to stay away for the week, but Stiles stumbled across when my control was at its thinnest." Derek growled out, but his teeth went back to normal. "He wasn't supposed to be there." His last sentence was a whimper of sorts, but Jackson had mercy and jumped in.

"It wasn't forced, from what Stiles told me. He loves Derek." The teen shrugged his shoulders as Scott's eyes went wide and he spluttered.

"What? What do you mean? When did Stiles tell you this?" He stared at Jackson with confusion, not understanding what was going on. Allison squeezed his hand tight but he barely noticed, completely focused on Jackson.

"Not all of us are so consumed in our own lives to overlook him. Haven't you noticed how down he's been this week? How quiet he's been? I asked him about it this afternoon and he told me." Jackson sneered at Scott, not impressed with the supposed best friend's lack of caring.

"He told me he was still feeling sick from last week. Wait, he wasn't really sick, was he?" Scott made a face and Jackson rolled his eyes at the other teen. How dumb could a person get?

"No you idiot. He was with Derek, and then they were both acting stupid and didn't realise that it wasn't just mating heat." Derek growled at Jackson's words but it was the truth. Scott went silent, Allison surprised at the admission as much as her boyfriend was. They hadn't been paying attention to Stiles when they really should have as his friends.

"Wait, he was with Derek? He wasn't really sick? Instead he was in this mating heat thing?" The Sheriff narrowed his eyes at Derek who was back to pacing and ignoring everyone. Chris grimaced as the Sheriff turned to him expectantly. "What exactly is mating heat?"

"It's just like when normal animals go into heat. I don't think we need to be specific here." Chris eventually said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he glanced at the phone, willing for it to ring with confirmation. The longer they waited the longer it was that Stiles was held captive.

"He's 17!" The Sheriff looked over at Derek but Derek refused to look at the Sheriff. _Stiles loves you! _Was still repeating in his head but it hurt more this time. He had been an idiot, waiting for so long until he told Stiles what he felt for him. He loved him and he had never told him! What if he never got the chance? His wolf howled in rage at the thought and Derek tried to focus on anything but Stiles dying. Stiles was his, and he needed to find him now!

Before anyone could say anything else, Chris' phone rang and the room went still and tense. Chris quickly answered it, listening to the other end before connecting eyes with Derek. Without a word from the hunter, Derek had run off. The other wolves following quickly, before Chris had a chance to run after them. In a few seconds the rest of them piled into the cars, racing towards Stiles, hoping that he was still alive.

* * *

Everything hurt. Blood dripped everywhere, and Stiles was starting to feel slightly light headed. The knife was covered in blood, _his blood, _he thought faintly. They were angry at him, angry at his lack of proper answers. It came to a point where he had refused to answer their questions, instead rambling about how to decorate the room they were in, or how much trouble they were going to be in from the other hunters for capturing an innocent human.

In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have taunted them. Cuts covered his arms, legs and torso, his shirt having been removed ages ago. They had alternated between the hunters cutting him, yelling out for him to answer them seriously, but he wouldn't. He refused to, finding some unknown source of strength to resist giving them what they wanted.

But that was getting harder. His mind was going fuzzy, and he wasn't sure if he could keep it all to himself. His tongue felt heavy, his eyes drooping from blood loss. He had been resigned to die ages ago, knowing that there was no way in hell he'd be able to survive. No one would be able to find him and he was going to leave his poor father alone in the world. Would the sheriff be able to survive this? Hopefully he'd do it for Stiles and his mom. He missed that woman. She had always believed in him, thought the best of him. He wondered what she would think about Derek. Probably that Stiles had chosen well, wanting to love someone who needed love so badly. If only he had gotten a chance to tell Derek. That was his regret, and what was dying without regrets?

Another cut as he ignored another question, more blood flowing down his chest from the cut at his collarbone. They'd dug right into his bone, causing him to yell out at the sharp pain. It didn't matter, though. Stiles was ready to die, willing to succumb. Maybe his mom would be waiting for him. Would he get to see Derek's family? Maybe Peter wouldn't be crazy now that he was dead and he could finally meet Laura who Derek always spoke of with such love. He'd love to meet someone who Derek had loved so much and loved Derek like he did. If only Derek had loved him back.

Yells and shouts echoed around, along with snarls and roars, but Stiles was sure it was his mind playing tricks on him. And he let himself go along with it, choosing to believe that his tormentors were panicked rather than looking at him with frustration and anger. They'd stopped cutting him, and he knew it was a good fantasy. The sounds were fuzzy in his ears, barely registering in his brain. He fell to floor, unable to keep himself up. He didn't even feel it, his body going numb from the abuse that it had withstood.

The snarls managed to penetrate his brain and he struggled to keep awake, to understand what was happening around him. Shouts and screams echoed in the empty house, and he saw one of the torturers thrown across the room before a black shape descended. He screamed before it cut off suddenly, and then one of the other tormentors went to attack the black shape before it turned and the man dropped to his knees uselessly before collapsing.

This was the best hallucination he'd ever had. He even laughed as Ryan, the biggest and strongest torturer was gutted right in front of him, screaming as his organs were ripped from his body. Stiles had a crazy imagination, coughing up blood as the black shape came over to him. What was this crazy figment of his imagination? There was blood all over its teeth, dripping the vile red liquid as it whimpered at Stiles.

Wait, whimpered? Werewolf, his mind supplied and he grinned, knowing that there was probably blood dripping out his own mouth. They were like twins! Then the werewolf started shifting and instead of red eyes, there were green eyes. Derek had green eyes. Wait! It was Derek! He smiled softly at the hallucination.

"Stiles, it's going to be ok. Hang in there!" Fake Derek whispered, picking up his limp body. There were no longer rope surrounding his wrists or ankles, somehow the rope disappearing during the fight. Stiles couldn't feel anything but that didn't matter. He was dying, and it was going to be alright because his mind had given him Derek to be with until the end. He wished he had a chance to apologise to his dad, but fake Derek was going to have to do.

"I'm sorry." Stiles coughed, his voice sounding wrecked and scratching his throat. "I didn't tell them about the pack. They don't know. I protected the pack." Stiles looked at the pain-filled eyes of Derek, wishing he could ease that look. Real Derek was going to be mad when he realised Stiles was dead. Even if Real Derek had never loved him. Not the way that Stiles wanted him too, but it was going to have to be enough.

"You did good, Stiles. You're so strong, Stiles. But I need you to stay awake, can you do that for me? Can you stay awake? It's going to be ok." Derek's voice was heartbreaking and Stiles didn't understand why his fake Derek was so sad. His brain needed to fix this image.

"No it's not, Derek." Stiles' voice was soft and a bit wet from the blood coming through his throat. Fake Derek looked panicked, but Stiles tried to soothe him with his hand, which even though it was numb, was able to move to Derek's chest. He wished he could feel Derek, but this wasn't real. This wasn't his Derek. This was fake Derek.

"Yes it will! Stay with me, Stiles. Please! You're my mate." Derek whispered to him, eyes brimming with tears. Stiles didn't want Derek to cry, even fake Derek. He wanted him happy and calm. He wanted Derek to be happy. "I love you." Fake Derek said softly and Stiles could see the love in his eyes. Stiles smiled happily, glad that even though this was a hallucination, fake Derek loved him. His chest swelled with happiness and his hand cupped Derek's face.

"I love you, too." Stiles said before the world went black, pulling him away from the real world and his Derek.

* * *

**A/N I feel like an awful human being. I love Stiles so much and it's taken me forever to write this because I didn't want to put Stiles through this. It's been a while and I'm glad everyone has been patient, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think one more chapter should do it, and **_**possibly**_** a sequel, but that's still undecided. **

**Please let me know what you think! I really love love love love love reviews :) And are people interested if I write a sequel? I'll put this story on A03 when I finally get an invite, just in case it gets kicked off. But I love how supportive you've all been and patient! You're the best! So thanks guys! **


	9. Chapter 9

Beep. Beep. Beep. The constant noise managed to penetrate Stiles' mind, the noise matching his heart beats. It took a moment for his mind to connect it all, and something deep inside him willed himself to wake up. Darkness covered everything, but his mind pushed through, fighting the fog to wake up. There was something out there waiting for him, and he was eager to find what it was. It was hard, near impossible not to just succumb to the darkness, but that wouldn't be right. Stiles would fight because he never gave up. He was strong.

* * *

It felt like days when he finally pushed past the barrier, suddenly immersing himself into the real world. He could feel his body, limp and painful, but feeling none the less rather than the numbness from before. He could hear the constant heart monitor which accounted for the beeping noise, and he heard someone breathing deeply next to him. There was a hand holding his own, gently as if he was too fragile and would break. The hand was warm and comfortable, and Stiles knew he needed to open his eyes.

Struggling hard to get the stubborn muscles to comply, Stiles finally managed the feat. He blinked a few times, trying to focus as the lights attacked his eyes. But he managed to get them opened and the first thing he saw were green eyes staring right back at him. His whole body relaxed, no longer straining with the need to move. He felt content and alright, ignoring the flare of pain his body was going through. The green eyes watched him warily, so uncertain and so scared. Stiles just wanted to calm the look, promise to make things better, but he was just too tired. It taken so much to get this far.

"Derek." He croaked out, throat burning and voice cracking. There was a whimper from the alpha before his hand was lifted and cradled against Derek's face. He hummed ever so softly, enjoying the rough feel of Derek's stubble compared to the calluses of Derek's hands on his own palm.

"I was so scared Stiles. I thought you were going to die." Derek's voice was weak and vulnerable, something Stiles had never seen. He wanted to soothe the wolf, soothe his fears and confirm that he was alive, but his voice refused to work. Just then a nurse walked in and smiled gently at the two of them.

"I'm just going to give him some more pain medication. He's going to be hurting for a while so he needs as much sleep as he can get." Her words were soft and gentle, but Stiles didn't want to go back to sleep. He wanted to stay awake with Derek and just be happy that the alpha was here with him. His memories were hazy and he couldn't understand why he was here, but Derek was here and that meant everything would be okay.

The wolf must have understood the slight panic that shot through Stiles at the thought of having to fight through more darkness to get awake, so Derek let his fingers run softly across Stiles' face, a reassuring movement that allowed Stiles to breathe easier. It was a promise that Derek would be here when he woke up, and trusting the alpha, he let his eyes close just as the numbness returned, pulling him back into darkness.

* * *

He had thought he had lost him. There had been so much blood, too much blood, but he had run from that old house with the broken body of his mate. His wolf howled at the injustice, the universe showing him his mate only to tear him away. So much blood, and when Stiles had passed out it had been worse than anything else.

Luckily Chris Argent had prepared for this, and an ambulance had pulled up just as Derek ran out of the house. They ignored him completely, taking Stiles away and going in a mad rush of movement and smelling of medicine. Derek had wanted to growl and demand they fix his mate, his wolf begging to be close, but Scott and Jackson had held him back, letting the paramedics do their best. The Sheriff had jumped in the ambulance with him and they left in a rush of flashing lights and roaring sirens.

Derek remembered when he had heard the address that the hunter who had called Chris recited. He hadn't thought about a plan or anything other than rescuing his mate. He had ran to the Camaro, jumping in and not even paying attention to his betas jumping in with him. They were silent as Derek sped as fast as he could. His mate was in trouble, he just knew it. And those hunters who had taken him were going to pay for this.

The address had been part of a group of houses set to be demolished years ago but money had been too tight for the owner to follow through. Derek had parked the car outside and his betas had run silently, feeling the silent command from Derek to remove the outside threats so that Derek could save their pack mate, and his mate. There had been screams, gun fire, but Derek had ignored it. He could hear four heart beats in the house, but one was weak. His wolf had completely taken over at that.

Derek didn't notice the hunters pulling in behind him, or the Sheriff yelling at him to stop. He didn't hear the roars of his betas unleashing their anger and fury at the men who had stolen their pack mate and their alpha's mate. He didn't hear anything except the heartbeat of his dying mate. And he knew that Stiles was dying.

His alpha form took over, black fur spouting everywhere as he pounced inside and taken out the first man by throwing him against the far wall, all reason gone when he smelled the coppery scent of his mate's blood. Stiles' blood. He roared louder than ever, pure rage and wrath echoing around the room. It was a promise of their deaths for the crimes they had committed. Derek snarled and growled, the sounds ripping through his chest as he jumped the man he had thrown, cutting off his screams by ripping out his throat with his jaws. One of the men went to attack him from behind so he ran at him and sliced his head clean off with his claws. The man dropped to his knees, head rolling off and spurting blood everywhere. His wolf howled in victory at the blood, but there was another man left.

He was standing near his mate and without thought he pounced, gutting the man and revelling in the way his organs poured from his stomach, ensuring an agonising death but making him helpless to anything but the slow death. Torture for the one who dared hurt his mate. A fulfilment of the promise he had made in that roar.

But what scared him the most was the wet laugh coming from Stiles, lying in a growing pool of red. Cuts littered his body, making him seem paler and more broken than Derek had ever thought he could look. Still in his wolf mindset, he battled to take over and care for his mate as only a human could. He whimpered at his dying mate, contemplating biting him, but Derek couldn't do it. He couldn't take that away from Stiles. Because Stiles would always hate him. He might be alive, but he wouldn't be Derek's. He wasn't going to screw up again.

He had heard the sirens wailing in the distance so he had jumped into action, begging Stiles to stay awake and trying desperately to get him to safety before he died. Then Stiles had passed out and he had become desperate. Once the paramedics had left with his mate, taking him far away from the wolf, he had turned to Chris, checking his pack briefly to make sure they were all in one piece. Jackson pulled an arrow out of his shoulder with a grumble, blood covering his mouth and hands. Scott was similar without the weapon sticking out of him, but bloodied. They both looked equally satisfied at the carnage they had left.

"Stiles. I – I need to – He needs – might die – can't!" Derek panted out, his mind racing as he struggled to breath. He couldn't afford a panic attack right now! Stiles needed him, dammit! Jackson and Scott saddled up to him and offered their presence as a source of comfort. It took a few moments for Derek to calm his breathing, feeling himself relax slightly. He knew he wouldn't be completely fine until Stiles was out of danger. If he didn't die.

"You can see Stiles once we get you cleaned up." Jackson spoke softly, leading the alpha to the Camaro and pushing him into the passenger seat.

"Jackson! Wait! We aren't going to clean up this mess!" Chris said angrily but Jackson turned to stare at him in a manner that would have made Derek proud had he had been in his right mind. But his whole being was focused on Stiles, his need to be right there, to find out everything. Scott scrambled into the car as Jackson started the engine and pulled out. They made it to Derek's in one piece and Derek refused to waste time. He needed to be clean because when Stiles woke up, Stiles wouldn't want to see his blood covering his mate.

Because Stiles would wake up. He had to. Derek had to believe it otherwise he knew he would go mad. His mate would live and then they would fine. Because any other option would kill him. His betas were silent as Derek ran inside and jumped straight into the shower, removing the blood of his mate and the stains of the men he had killed. He just wished that Stiles hadn't been injured so he could have drawn their deaths out longer, made sure they really felt the fury of an alpha for their mistreatment of an alpha's mate. The best he could manage was gutting that one man. Hopefully Chris would let the man suffer instead of giving him a quick death. He deserved worse, but he needed to ignore the need for revenge. His mate needed him.

"Why didn't you bite him?" Scott asked as Derek shoved pants on and a shirt. His betas had stolen some of his clothes to join him at the hospital, knowing their rags wouldn't do. Derek looked over at them, half surprised to see them there. He'd been too focused in his own world to remember them and he berated himself for his lack of attention. These boys were pack too and he shouldn't forget their presence.

"Stiles never wanted the bite. I couldn't take that from him." He had taken so much already, and maybe his presence and mating with Stiles had taken his life. No, he couldn't think like that. His mate needed him right now. His voice was slightly choked and he rushed downstairs, the boys right on his heels. They were in the car and racing towards the hospital.

In no time at all they ran inside, asking the nurse about Stiles and directed to a waiting room. The Sheriff was looking grim in there and Derek's heart stuttered, looking at the man. But the Sheriff shrugged his shoulders.

"He's in surgery. They haven't told me anything else." The boys relaxed and they all took a seat. Derek couldn't sit still, fidgeting and straining his ears to hear the familiar beat. He closed his eyes, concentrating his whole being on his mate until he managed the faintest heartbeat. Instinctly he knew it was Stiles', so he kept focus.

"He's alive." The unspoken 'for now' was thick in the room, but Derek pushed the thought away. His whole being was concentrating on Stiles' heartbeat. He ignored everything else, listening as the beat sometimes became stronger, only to fall slightly weaker. He wanted to do something, help him in some way, but he was powerless. This was the worst position he had ever been in.

Almost two hours later and Derek relaxed visibly against the uncomfortable chair, his eyes opening and blinking at the sudden light. They were looking at him, unable to hear anything themselves. He gave a weak grin, barely containing the tears in his eyes.

"They've got him out of surgery. The surgeon said it looks good and he's stable for now." Pure relief was heard in his voice and the Sheriff sagged, his heart calming down. Not a few minutes later the surgeon gave them the good news, but it didn't matter. They already knew. They were allowed into the room in a few minutes, once he was set up. They followed a nurse, who went to tell them only one visitor, but the look that the Sheriff, Derek, Jackson and Scott gave her was enough to have her rushing away without another word.

They crowded into the room and Derek couldn't stop the high pitched whimper that escaped his throat at the sight of Stiles. He was patched up, stitches everywhere and bandages covering most of his skin. He was pale, connected up to a million different machines and making him want to cry. He looked so weak and vulnerable, and Derek knew there was no way he could leave until Stiles woke up. His mate needed to be protected. He had failed once, he wouldn't again.

They were quiet until Chris walked in. Allison wasn't far behind him, rushing to Scott as she looked sadly at Stiles. He was going to be okay, but he looked terrible. Stiles was strong and this was the opposite to what he should look like. Stiles would hate to be seen like this.

"How's he doing?" Chris' voice was out of place here, but Derek couldn't tear his eyes away from Stiles to even focus on him, let alone answer the hunter. His mate looked so fragile, so breakable. He had endured so much.

"The doctors said there was a lot of internal bleeding and a bit of damage to his spleen and liver, but that they patched him up pretty good. It's just going to take him a while to heal up. He's got a few broken ribs but that's about it thankfully. The pain medication should keep him knocked out for a while." The Sheriff said slowly, stretching in the seat and cracking his back from the movement. The chairs were extremely uncomfortable, but Derek wasn't even paying attention to himself.

Scott and Jackson followed Allison outside to grab something to eat and drink before filling in Scott's mom about everything that had happened. The Sheriff stood up to go grab something but he looked over at Derek to see the desperate gaze as he watched Stiles.

"Derek, do you want to come for a bit of a walk down to the cafeteria? Just to stretch your legs? He's got a while before he wakes up." The Sheriff seemed a bit uncertain about leaving just in case, but even he knew that if he stayed down too long he wouldn't be able to get back up. Derek was silent, unmoving as he looked at Stiles.

"Sheriff, he won't leave. He can't." Chris said softly and from the confused look from the Sheriff, Chris sighed out. "Let me explain while we go grab something to eat." They left together, the Sheriff firing off questions while Derek watched his mate. He didn't need the heart monitor to hear the beats, but he wished there wasn't so much medication blocking Stiles' natural scent. Gingerly he took Stiles' hand, holding it softly between his own palms and hoping that somehow Stiles could forgive him for being so stupid. He would do anything for that opportunity. So he sat and waited for his mate to come back to him.

* * *

The second time Stiles woke up, it was a lot easier than before. There was no thick fog to fight off, just a mild wave of sleepiness. But he managed and opened his eyes, wincing at the bright artificial lights trying to burn his eyes. He gave a groan and there was someone gripping his hand again. He looked over to see his dad, haggard and almost half dead. With great effort, he gave a small smile and his dad seemed to relax.

"Hey dad." He croaked, grimacing at his voice. It sounded like a dying cat screeching. It was awful and his throat was parched. As if sensing what he wanted, his dad brought over a cup of water with a straw. Knowing that this was about to hurt like a bitch, Stiles prepared for the pain while sipping, almost gagging at the sharp bite of pain that went down his throat. But at least he didn't feel like he was dehydrating.

"How are you feeling?" His dad spoke softly and Stiles was grateful for the consideration of his lowered voice. Everything sounded extremely loud and he looked around the room, searching for someone. When he didn't find them, not even sure exactly who he was looking for, he felt oddly disappointed. His dad noticed his eyes searching and he squeezed his hand. "I told Derek to get out for a few minutes before I arrested him and made him stay away for a while. He wasn't too happy with me, but he listened. He'll be back."

Peace flooded his system and Stiles relaxed marginally, looking at his dad with new eyes. His memories were hazy, slowly coming back to him and he focused hard on what exactly had happened. He could remember bits and pieces, the kidnapping, the punches and most of the knife. But then there were flashes of a black shape and a hallucination. It was confusing and he just wanted to know what happened.

"What happened?" He half coughed out, watching his dad warily. How much did his dad even know about everything? How had they spun the story of Stiles getting attacked?

"Oh I know everything, mister, and when you're better we are going to have a long talk." Crap, so there was that. The Sheriff shuffled in his seat, keeping his hand connected with his son's. "But you were kidnapped by hunters and they tortured you. Derek saved you and we managed to get you to a hospital. We almost lost you." His dad's voice cracked and he turned away, hiding the sheen of tears before looking back at his son.

"I thought I was going to die." Stiles spoke softly, and his dad shook his head, as if ridding himself of the sad feelings.

"It doesn't matter. You're alive and now we can focus on you getting better." He gave a watery smile just as Derek walked into the room. Stiles' gaze automatically went to the man's, focusing on the green that stared right back at him. His dad coughed awkwardly before gently placing Stiles' hand down and standing up. "I'm going to grab a coffee, check in with the station." He nodded to himself before leaving the two of them alone in the room. There was silence for a moment before Stiles couldn't stand it.

"I dreamed you. At least, I'm pretty sure I did. You tried to keep me alive and I was so positive that it was a hallucination. My mind giving me a moment of happiness before I died." Stiles said roughly, wincing at his throat but watching the alpha. Derek moved to take up his dad's seat, eyes never once leaving Stiles' face. His hand rested next to Stiles, as if not sure he was allowed to touch. Stiles ignored his hesitation and moved his hand to connect to Derek's.

"That was real." Derek's words were whispered. "You were bleeding everywhere and I then you seemed to stop fighting." Derek looked over at him, unshed tears in his eyes, but he held strong, fingers absently rubbing against Stiles' hand. He smiled sadly at the alpha.

"You said you love me." There were the most important words. Stiles' heart monitor picked up his heart beating fast and Stiles would blushed if he could find the effort. Not that Derek wouldn't have been able to hear his heartbeat anyway, but this made it more real to Stiles.

"I do." Derek said firmly, not a trace of doubt in his voice. Pure happiness swept through Stiles and he gave a small smile to him, the biggest he could manage at the moment. "And you said you love me too."

"I do." Stiles repeated back to the wolf, giving a weak laugh that made him wince and whimper slightly. Derek tensed at the sound and Stiles felt bad, knowing that right now the wolf could do nothing but let Stiles heal.

"I could have bitten you." Derek looked at Stiles, as if searching his eyes. "But I couldn't take that choice from you. I'd taken too much choice from you already." He shook his head as if rebuking himself for saying anything. Stiles watched him carefully, his body aching slightly. The pain medication was wearing off and he knew once he got some more, he was going to be knocked out yet again. But he needed to get this out.

"I don't want the bite." Derek nodded, no judgement in his gaze and that made Stiles happy to know that his decision was alright with the alpha. "But I would have chosen you anyways. The mating heat scared me. Not because of what we would do, but what would happen. I knew I'd fall in love and I was sure you wouldn't feel the same. I can't see how you possibly could." He didn't mean to put himself down, but it baffled him. Derek looked at him like he was crazy, but there was real emotion in his eyes, something he hadn't ever seen before. It was like Derek was trusting him with this part of himself and Stiles loved him even more.

"You don't see how strong you are. You were tortured, almost killed in order to find out the names of the pack, but you didn't give them up. You managed to stay alive despite how much abuse your body had withstood. You're intelligent, funny and courageous." Derek's words were firm and caused a warmth to spread into Stiles' heart. Because it wasn't just someone saying it to appease him, it was Derek saying these things because he truly believed it.

There was a pause in their conversation, with Stiles ignoring the pain as he focused on their hands, watching Derek's face. There was hesitation there, and Stiles understood. Things had gone pretty backwards for them. Usually sex didn't happen until an established relationship had already started. But then again Stiles had never done the norm. But he wanted everything with Derek and his whole being rejected the idea of being with anyone else. He really had fallen completely for this guy.

"Stiles I -" Derek cut himself off, as if struggling with the words that he wanted to say. Stiles waited patiently, knowing that Derek needed a bit of time to get his thoughts in order to say what he wanted to say. Squeezing his fingers encouragingly, Stiles watched him struggle with himself, as if battling whether he should say anything. "I realised during the heat. You're more than just a heat mate. You- You're my mate."

Stunned, Stiles looked at him, hope and disbelief in his eyes. Mate? But didn't that mean more than just boyfriend? Mates were the forever kind. You didn't ever get another one. No divorce, no separation. One mate for the rest of your life. Was Derek sure? Was he positive that he really wanted Stiles? Derek might be able to see the good in Stiles, but there was a lot of bad. Like a really big pile of bad qualities that accounted for the very low number of friends Stiles had.

"As in the only one. Nobody else ever." Stiles waited for the clarification, Derek nodding hesitatingly, not sure whether Stiles was freaking out or not. Did Derek honestly think that Stiles didn't want him? Because then Derek was a lot dumber than he had first thought. "Are you sure you want to be stuck with me?" A gush of air escaped Derek's lungs as if he had been holding his breath to see Stiles' reaction. Seriously, like hell Stiles would say no to Derek.

"You're alright with this? With being my mate? Because it means no one else, Stiles. Ever." Derek checked to see if it was okay with Stiles. Stiles gave a dopey smile, feeling high and elated. He couldn't believe it. Derek. Derek was his mate. Forever. Life with Derek Hale. No one else getting a piece of that ass. Derek was Stiles'.

"Are you kidding me? I'm more worried about you regretting your decision. I mean, like hell I would say no. I'm pretty sure you ruined me for sex with anyone else anyway so there's that. But yes. Definitely yes. You're mine, Derek Hale." Stiles said seriously and Derek shook his head, pure happiness in his face and Stiles couldn't believe that he had put that on Derek's face. Before he could say anything else, the Sheriff walked in with a nurse.

Oh yeah. He was actually in a lot of pain, but he had been so focused on sourwolf and his proposal. Wait, did that mean he was werewolf married now? Because he was so not the bitch in the relationship. Actually, he probably was, but no girl jokes allowed. Derek was his now and that meant Stiles could get him to beat other people up for him if they dared to say anything. And since Derek was alpha he could smack Jackson every time he was being an ass or if Scott did something incredibly stupid. This was actually excellent.

The nurse put the medication in his IV, letting it drip into his system. The Sheriff was watching them critically and Stiles realised that maybe he had just listened to them talking. In which case, he was really not looking forward to that talk with his father. But Derek was there, rubbing his thumb soothingly across his hand and with that, he let himself slip back under, knowing that things were finally looking up.

* * *

**A/N HERE IT IS GUYS! And the best part is, I've managed to squeeze in another part to this! So this is not the end! I know it's taken me forever, but I've got it for you guys! I'm feeling pretty good because this is my second thing out in two days. Plus I finished The Alpha's Mate and everyone was so nice about that! I'm on a bit of a high. I know I wanted to finish this before my birthday, but I don't think so. At least I finished this chapter before then! **

**Seriously, you all have been the most patient, lovely people in the world. I'm incredibly lazy at times which is why it takes forever, and you're all understanding and kind despite me being a butt, and I want to thank you all! I love writing for you and hearing what you have to say! I'll post this up on AO3 too, and if you've noticed, it's part of a series, so I'm thinking a definite to a sequel! **

**Also, I'm going to extend some of my other stories now that I've got a bit of time to focus on the without feeling guilty, so look out for those! You're all incredible people, seriously. I am amazed at you all for actually reading this story. Amazing guys. And if you have a request for a one shot or something, let me know! I love writing and I'd love to hear exactly what type of things people want to read. Anyways, let me know what you thought of this one. It's a bit fluffy but whatever. There's enough porn in this story to placate you guys for a while. It's exhausting writing so much porn!**

**Ugh, I rambled again. Forgive me. If you've read this far, I seriously am in awe of you. Keep being excellent you wonderful people you!**


	10. Chapter 10

It was rather daunting being ushered into his own living room, Derek right by his side as the Sheriff sat down and looked at them seriously. In truth, he hadn't been looking forward to this talk for quite some time, but now it was even worse than he had first imagined. Derek looked completely calm, even if Stiles knew it was fake and hiding his true emotions. The fake calm was enough to ease some of his nerves, but only some.

The recovery period for his injuries had been long and stressful. Long, because he had been stuck in hospital for over a week, then put in bed rest for another week, and after that it was slow moving as he regained movement without debilitating pain. Stressful because he'd had his dad freaking out every time he moved, Derek freaking out every time he winced in slight pain, and the rest of the pack just constantly hanging around. They'd only recently calmed down now that the last of the stitches had been pulled out. Only it had been the perfect chance for his father to request the sit down.

Despite discovering about werewolves, the Sheriff actually hadn't learnt all that much. The main focus of everyone had been Stiles and his recovery, some story about being kidnapped for a ransom fed to the hospital to account for his injuries. It had even made the front page of the paper which was awesome and now everyone no longer saw Stiles as the spastic kid who hung out with Scott, but now as the kidnapping victim who survived. It was pretty cool. His father hadn't pushed for answers about anything, trusting Stiles enough for that time period. Now the time had come to talk.

There was an awkward silence as Stiles settled into the couch, Derek pressed against his side with his fingers resting casually on his leg. Even though Derek had spent every night with him (although the Sheriff had no idea about this) they hadn't had sex. Not since mating heat since Stiles was still recovering. Sleeping next to one another had added another layer to their relationship which Stiles valued quite a bit. They talked, Derek talking was quite a surprise, but it was actually nice. It felt good to open up about his mom and how hard it had been, and he had been so surprised when Derek had said a few things about Laura. There were still issues to discuss, still things to learn, but Stiles was enjoying himself.

"So this is kind of awkward. I mean, a bit ominous, but extremely awkward. Or is that just me? It might just be me. I generally think if people are just sitting around and not talking when they kind of designated this time to talking, it means there is an awkwardness in the air and we all know I can't really deal with awkward silences because I'm absolutely terrible when it comes to silences. In fact-" Stiles babbled until his father lifted up a hand to stop his rambling. Which Stiles was extremely grateful for.

"Let's start from the beginning, shall we? First of all, Derek is a werewolf and so is Scott and Jackson. How?" The Sheriff had his poker face on, but Stiles was confident that Derek would be able to interpret that and based on how relaxed Derek was, Stiles would be able to figure out his dad's real mood. At least he hoped.

"I was born a werewolf while Scott and Jackson were bitten." Derek answered firmly and simply. So far so good, Stiles thought to himself and then realised maybe he was being premature and possibly had jinxed the situation.

"Who bit the teenagers?" Again, so calm. So scary and nerve wracking for Stiles. Derek's hand on his thigh seemed to keep him anchored thankfully and he just focused on calming his breathing and allowing Derek to answer. Derek was an alpha, he could handle himself against his mate's father, right? The same father who owned a gun and was quite alright with shooting it. No, he needed to ignore that and just calm down. The squeeze on his thigh acted as a further reminder.

"My uncle bit Scott and I bit Jackson."

"Wait, your uncle Peter? The same one who was comatose and has suddenly gone missing along with his nurse?" There was a hint of actual emotion in his dad's face, a bit like confusion, but Derek nodded.

"Werewolves heal a lot faster than humans, but his injuries were severe enough to leave him in a comatose state. His instincts took over after six years suddenly with their desire to heal quicker, so he killed Laura who was an alpha in order to gain her alpha healing powers and then those same instincts made him bite Scott. He used the nurse to help him heal but killed her once she became of no value." Derek sounded so calm but Stiles knew it hurt him to talk about Laura at all.

"So it wasn't an animal attack that killed your sister." It wasn't even phrased as a question and Derek didn't seem inclined to answer it. Another sign that he wasn't too keen on discussing Laura further. Stiles' dad wasn't stupid so he moved away from the topic of Derek's sister. "All the animal attacks were from Peter?"

"I trust you pieced together that all the murders coincided with the Hale fire?" That deserved a few points because it made the Sheriff look awesome for figuring out the connections, of which the Sheriff did puff up ever so slightly. "Peter was hell bent on revenge and he had completely lost himself. He wasn't the man I remembered. He let instincts govern him and he paid the price." Derek sounded firm and Stiles let his own hand cling to Derek's on his thigh.

"Peter is dead also?"

"To become an alpha, one must either kill another alpha or be next in line when the current alpha dies. When my father died, the alpha of our pack, Laura became alpha. Peter killed her and gained her abilities and then I killed him. If Peter were still alive, I couldn't be the alpha." Derek explained and Stiles' dad sat back to contemplate everything. It was a lot to take in, Stiles knew since he had literally been there every step of the way.

"And when you get bitten by a werewolf you also become a werewolf?" That was a bit trickier and Stiles tensed slightly, remembering Peter offering him the bite. Not really one of his fondest memories.

"Either the bite takes and you become a werewolf, or it kills you." Derek seemed a bit uneasy with this trail of thought coming from the Sheriff, but the man didn't seem to notice.

"So Lydia Martin is also a werewolf since she was attacked by Peter? And there was a chance that Jackson could have died?" Uh-oh. That sounded a bit like pissed-off-Sheriff and Stiles was internally cringing.

"I don't understand what has happened to Lydia since the bite marks didn't heal up like they should have. I plan on keeping a close eye on her, especially around the full moon just in case, but I can't really say what's happening to her. So far she isn't a werewolf. In reference to Jackson, yes there was a chance he wouldn't survive. But he asked, full knowing what it entailed including the hunters, yet was persistent. He was in more danger knowing about werewolves and not being one than he is now." That was news to Stiles about Lydia, but he hadn't really been focused on the girl recently. Which should have surprised him but really didn't. He was happily with Derek now, and things hadn't been the greatest with him. He felt a tiny bit guilty for forgetting about her, but then again it was justified.

"What you're saying is it's unsafe for a human to know about werewolves so you bite them to keep them safe, even knowing that there would be a chance they wouldn't survive? All humans who know become werewolves?" Somehow Stiles felt this question really wasn't focused on Derek.

"I don't want the bite. I know it makes me vulnerable because I'm a weak human, but right now I don't want it." Stiles butted in, both men looking at him. Derek seemed a bit surprised since Stiles had left it open, kind of. He was pretty much saying that maybe in the future it could become a possibility, but for right now he was content in being human. He'd been a human all his life and he actually kind of enjoyed it. Even if he'd been hurt by hunters and it had taken him forever to heal up, he'd dealt with that fine.

"I won't bite someone unless they understand completely the consequences, both bad and good. The bite is a gift, but it's a serious life commitment so they must actually want the bite. If you're worried about Jackson, maybe you should discuss it with him further. His reasons were his own, but he knew everything." Derek seemed to have regained his confidence again and Stiles was proud his mate was handling the pressure from his dad alright.

"Plus the pack seems to have mellowed Jackson out. He cares about more than himself these days. I mean, he's done anything that I want him to do at whatever time without once complaining. Being a wolf suits him." Stiles added, remembering Jackson being so helpful at sneaking in the good foods even though Derek and his dad had been adamant he eat healthy to help his body regain strength. Healthy foods sucked, Stiles loved his curly fries.

"Jackson has found a spot in the pack I don't think he had elsewhere. He's accepted and well liked without strings attached. It's also his instincts to care about others in the pack which might be the reason he was so eager to please you. Like sneaking you curly fries." Derek accused Stiles who gaped like a fish. Could Derek read his mind?

"Oh don't think we didn't know about that, Stiles." His dad looked at him seriously and Stiles felt like the tables had turned. Since when did his father and mate gang up on him? This was outrageous!

"Getting back to the topic, anything else you want to know about werewolves or what's been going on?" Stiles pushed and both men reluctantly turned their attention to the conversation.

"Stiles is your mate, so does that mean you will do everything you can to keep him safe?" The Sheriff turned on his dad hat and Stiles was a bit taken back by the question.

"I will always do everything I can to keep him safe. I can't hurt him, instincts would never allow me and I never want to. I love him." Derek shrugged slightly at the admission and that seemed to placate his father.

"Good. Because I own a shotgun and Chris Argent has been rather forthcoming with talks about wolfs bane bullets and the affects they have on werewolves." He raised his hands up at Stiles' glare. "It's my right as a father, Stiles. Don't take this away from me."

"I thought that was meant for daughters? The whole threatening 'I have a gun' thing." Stiles raised an eyebrow at his father who grinned.

"No, it's meant for any boy who tries to date my child. Gender neutral." Stiles rolled his eyes at his father's words, but the Sheriff stood up and extended his hand to Derek. The alpha stood up, a bit surprised and shook his hand firmly. "Welcome to the family."

The Sheriff then pulled away, grabbing his work coat and guns from their safe spots around the house. Derek seemed a bit stunned and sat down, fingers intertwining with Stiles' almost absently. It sent a nice shiver up Stiles at the contact, the intimacy of hand holding. Hand holding was so under rated! Seriously, hands connected like this looked intimate, but this felt so damn close. He was going to have to instigate this and demand this more often.

"Now I know that you two are mated, which is practically married I understand, I just hope you can respect my home and rules. Number one, no mischief while I'm home. Two, I never want to know about that ever. Three, Stiles doesn't screw up his education because of this."

"Stiles is intelligent and that sort of gift isn't to be wasted." Derek affirmed and then the Sheriff briefly nodded at the two of them, his eyes straying slightly to their clasped hands.

"Good. I'm on the night shift and won't be back until tomorrow morning. With that said, Derek, I do give you actual permission to stay with my son tonight. I know you were doing it anyway, but this is a bit more official. Goodnight." The Sheriff left the two gaping males to watch his retreating form.

"How did he know?" Derek whispered, as if the Sheriff could still hear them.

"That man is a father. He's good at his job." Stiles determined and then Derek turned to look at him, a face of pure happiness radiating. "So we've got a really, really long time until he gets homes. My stitches are gone, the pack is staying away for a while. What should we do?" Stiles said slyly, grinning a little bit. Derek picked up the change in mood, smirking as he pulled Stiles closer.

"No idea, at all." He joked back and Stiles laughed slightly. Before Stiles could open his mouth to say more, Derek had gone for his lips, pulling them into a really dirty kiss, rushed and determined as if he'd been away for too long. And he really had been away for too damn long. Stiles was equally as eager, practically crawling onto Derek's lap and straddling the man, hands grabbing onto his shoulders as he returned the kiss, mouth open and allowing their tongues to play.

Unable to help the groan that escaped his throat as Derek pushed his hips against Stiles, Stiles pulled back and nearly came right then as he saw Derek's face. Besides the fact that his lips were already slightly swollen, his eyes were shining with so much emotion, so much love. It caused Stiles' heart to beat even faster, which he hadn't thought possible without him dying from a heart attack, and he just felt a rush of how much he loved this man.

"I love you." Derek whispered as if the words were too sacred to be said any louder. In this sort of circumstance, the quietness just made them all the more powerful.

"I love you." Stiles smiled as he said the words, not getting over the rush of feeling every time he uttered the words. Derek seemed equally as enthralled before pulling Stiles into another kiss, standing up suddenly which forced Stiles to grab on for dear life. Hoisting Stiles so that his legs were wrapped around Derek's waist, he walked the two of them skilfully and no doubt relying on his super werewolf strength to get them up the stairs and stumbling into Stiles' bedroom. Dumbing Stiles on the mattress, in an instant he was covering the teen with his body.

Words were unnecessary at this time, so they just let their bodies speak. It was different from all the other times they'd fucked. Because before it had been just fucking. Now there were feelings involved, feelings that had been spoken and an understanding so strong and powerful, Stiles was almost overwhelmed. There was no frantic need to appease the beast, no feelings of dying and desperation, so they were allowed to take it slow.

As the clothes came off, the slow revealing of skin, Derek peppered each inch of chest with kisses, running his lips against the smooth skin and lighting Stiles' nerves. When he was down to his boxers, the tables turned and Derek slowly removed his clothing, Stiles running his lips and hands across it all. It was intimate, filled with love and better than anything Stiles had ever felt. This wasn't a fuck to be rushed. This was them about to make love for the first time.

Derek dove in for another kiss, slow and deep, like connecting their souls together. Fingers gripped Derek's head tightly, Stiles desperate to be closer, to feel all of Derek. Understanding the heat that ramped up and their inability to ignore the slight hunger, Derek helped Stiles out of his boxers, Stiles returning the favour a moment later. Both naked, Derek lying on top of Stiles, the two continued languidly kissing, enjoying their chests rubbing slightly together and just the feel of being so close to each other.

Mouths still attached, Derek got a hand into the nearby drawer and pulled out the lubricant he had made sure was there. There was no mating heat to hide the effects of this, nothing that would soothe and heal up any damage. His mate was human and needed the comfort. Plus it would feel so much better, and Derek was looking forward to it. He popped the cap, knowing that Stiles knew exactly what was about to happen by the way he tensed up, and coated his fingers.

Trailing down between his mate's thighs, Derek rubbed against the tight opening, feeling Stiles shiver at the contact. They both knew what was going to happen, both knew what to expect, but it still felt like the first time all over again. This was for the both of them, something for them to enjoy and really be connected together. One finger managed to push past the stubborn muscles, gentle with the slide and slowly beginning to open up his mate. Stiles' breathing sped up slightly, but Derek kissed softly against his neck to allow his mate to adjust.

It was slow moving, no need for rush which made it all the better. Derek worked one finger in, slipping in two not soon after but slowing down even more to allow Stiles to get past the burn. He recoated his fingers with the lube and worked them inside, opening his mate up for him and enjoying the flushed look on Stiles' face as he started to enjoy the intrusion. Eventually he was able to get a third finger inside, carefully since Stiles hissed slightly in pain. It had been a while since they'd done this, and Derek was determined not to hurt Stiles. They would take their time.

"I know you want to- to be slow and-and make this really go-good, but _please hurry up!_" Stiles practically begged and Derek couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped his throat, complying with his mate's wishes. Truth be told, Derek was extremely keen to get deep into his mate, feel the tight opening and just know it was only for him. Would only ever be for him.

When he was finally satisfied that Stiles could take him, and after Stiles started pushing against his fingers harder and faster, Derek applied lube to his cock, positioning himself at his mate's entrance and then looked at Stiles' face. Cheeks flushed bright red, eyes dark and full of want, Stiles looked beautiful. Eyes connected and then suddenly Stiles grabbed Derek's hands, holding them with his own and squeezing his fingers, even with the lube. It was Stiles giving him permission to get inside.

Not wasting another moment, Derek slowly pushed in, the head of his cock pushing past the tight ring of muscles, watching Stiles' face for discomfort. It was slow, much slower than the fingers because this was more important. He refused to hurt his mate, and he was going to be careful if it killed him. Stiles felt perfect, so much better than when he'd been in heat. He could actually enjoy the tightness, revel in the fact that Stiles just seemed made for him. Panting and feeling the sweat start dripping down his forehead, Derek pushed in more until finally he was fully seated in Stiles.

There was a moment allowed for Stiles to just breathe and adjust, the harsh panting the only real sound in the room. Stiles gave a small smile, looking at Derek with so much love and squeezing his fingers. His inner muscles fluttered around Derek's cock and Derek had to bite his lip not to do what he wanted to and pull out only to thrust in hard. He needed to wait until his mate was ready, and not a moment sooner. A few moments passed and then Stiles nodded at Derek, rolling his hips and groaning at the sensations. Derek whimpered at the tightness, more than willing to give Stiles what he wanted.

It had been too much waiting, and now Derek felt the desperate need. He pulled out suddenly and slammed into Stiles, hearing the moan and gasp of pure pleasure that escaped Stiles. He countered with his own growl of pleasure, loving the tight heat of his mate. He rolled his hips, pulling out again to slam into Stiles and loving the grip of Stiles' muscles trying to keep him contained.

They built up a rhythm, slow and hard, sweat dripping off them and both of them gasping. Derek could feel it slowly building, his peak coming, and based on the way Stiles was moaning and groaning beneath him, he was close too. Stiles unclasped one of Derek's hands to pull his head close and gave him possibly the dirtiest, wettest and hottest kisses of Derek's life. It was enough to unleash the raw need, Derek ramming in faster and harder, getting the wanton cries out of Stiles.

The wet slap of skin on skin was intoxicating, the smell of arousal and sex permeating the air. Stiles' whole body was flush, his cock red in its need to come. Kissing Stiles, Derek absorbed the cries into his mouth as he changed his angle, knowing that now every time he thrusted in, he would be slamming into Stiles' prostate instead of occasionally. The jerk of his mate underneath him followed by fingers digging into his skin had his body rushing with desire.

Derek was so close, the wet heat of Stiles becoming too much for him. The way Stiles was clinging to him as he slammed into him repeatedly had him ready to tip, knowing Stiles was so ready as well. He felt his teeth getting longer, felt the control slipping as he slammed into his mate. The need to really claim, to claim with actual meaning had him pounding harder and faster, Stiles clawing at Derek as he cried out for more.

They were both so close, Derek feeling his balls tighten and just as he was about to lose it, Stiles jerked hard underneath him, shooting out white ropes across their chests and crying out loudly. His eyes caught Derek's, pushing Derek completely off the edge. Teeth clamped hard into Stiles' shoulder, biting the already there marks but making them stronger. As he shot into Stiles, his wolf howled in delight knowing he was claiming his mate, pushing his seed deep into his body and staining him with his scent. Stiles was his.

There was a pause in moment as Derek calmed down, feeling the cool air around him as his heart slowed down. Absently he licked at the bleeding marks on his mate, feeling Stiles shiver and tighten internally. It was too soon and Derek whimpered before pulling out and collapsing next to Stiles on the bed. The bed was too small for both of them, so Derek pulled Stiles close to him and nuzzled his mate's cheek, chest to chest with the boy.

"So that was really, really awesome." Stiles panted, looking at Derek with a big smile. Derek hummed happily, letting a smile cross his features. "We should do that a whole lot more. Seriously, amazing." Stiles laughed breathily and Derek pulled him closer, looking right into Stiles' eyes.

"I love you." Derek reaffirmed gently, kissing Stiles' nose in a sign of affection. He was completely satisfied in this moment of time, his mate close and claimed, his pack seeming happy and everything seeming to be good for a while. It probably wouldn't last, but for now Derek was content to just enjoy it.

"And I love you, sourwolf." Stiles said fondly, his fingers once again finding Derek's. "Always." Stiles whispered the last part like it was the biggest secret. Derek's heart pounded and soared with the admission, making his whole body light up with happiness and contentment.

"Always." Derek agreed.

**A/N I bet you all thought I was dead! I bet you'd all thought I'd finished with this story! Don't worry, so did I! I got a bit stuck with how to end this and then suddenly BAM inspiration hit. I'm not too sure about the ending, but you know what, I'm kind of satisfied with it too. It's been almost two months since the last update, and you were all probably expecting some fantastic ending full of fireworks and awesomeness. My apologies but I wanted something a bit sweeter. **

**Great news, I HAVE A PLOT IDEA FOR THE SEQUEL! Isn't that absolutely amazing? I'm so pleased with myself but I make no promises. I'm terrible with deadlines and putting updates out, so I beg of you, be patient with me! **

**I know this story was far from perfect, I also noticed the writing got a bit better near the end, which is awesome because it means I'm actually improving! Whoop! **

**I'd love to thank every single person that has ever read/commented/followed/liked this story because I literally wrote this for you! I would have stopped ages ago, but your kind words, your thoughts and even your criticisms were perfect. I'd never have finished this without you. Those who have followed from the beginning, I bow down to you for your perseverance. Those who've joined in the ride at random points, I love you too! And those who've discovered this now that it's done or have waited for me to finish before you decide to read, good work on getting through to the end! It's an accomplishment! **

**Oh look, another unnecessarily long authors note! Predictable! But I love you all! I love writing for you because you're all lovely and please, PLEASE, let me know what you thought of the story! I want to get better at this! What was your favourite part? What would you like to see in the sequel? What could I improve on? What was your favourite line? **

**Check me out on twitter, send me a pm, check out my AO3 account (same name Livvyham). Contact me dudes! I love hearing from you all! Until the sequel, my darlings! **


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